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The architectural complex of Tam Chuc Pagoda – the venue for the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019.
The Government Facilitates the Event
The official note affirms that the Government of Vietnam has approved the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) to host the United Nations Vesak Day in 2019.
“With the desire to strengthen friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese people and the people of other countries, as well as between Vietnamese Buddhists and Buddhists around the world—for peace, democracy, cooperation, development, and social progress—the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has agreed to allow the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to host the United Nations Vesak Day 2019,” the note states.
The note further emphasizes that the Vietnamese Government will create favorable conditions to ensure the successful organization of Vesak 2019 by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
At the closing ceremony of the 2014 United Nations Vesak, hosted by Vietnam at Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, then Deputy Prime Minister, delivered a speech.
To prepare for the grand event, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha announced the establishment of an Organizing Steering Committee and a Coordination Committee to work with the International Organizing Committee.
From July 24-26, 2018, the Standing Board of the Executive Council will send a delegation to officially present the diplomatic note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Chairman of the International Organizing Committee of the United Nations Vesak Day in Bangkok, Thailand.
The delegation will be led by Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Standing Vice Chairman of the Executive Council.
Following this, representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will also attend the annual meeting of the International Organizing Committee in Thailand (expected between September and October 2018).
At this meeting, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will officially receive the decision to host Vesak 2019 from the International Organizing Committee.
After receiving approval, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will develop a detailed organizational plan.
On July 2, 2018, the Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, together with senior monks from the Executive Council and leaders of 63 provincial and municipal Buddhist boards, visited and inspected the facilities of Tam Chuc Pagoda.
Held at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam
This marks the third time that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, in collaboration with the International Organizing Committee, has hosted the United Nations Vesak Day and the International Buddhist Academic Conference.
The grand celebration is scheduled to take place in mid-May 2019 at the Tam Chuc Buddhist Cultural Center (Ba Sao Town, Kim Bang District, Ha Nam Province). The venue is part of the Tam Chuc tourism complex, often referred to as the "Ha Long Bay on land."
The Tam Chuc tourism complex spans 5,100 hectares, with Tam Chuc Lake alone covering 600 hectares. The area boasts breathtaking, untouched natural landscapes, with three sides surrounded by the Seven Stars Mountain range, forming a natural amphitheater. In the middle of the lake, six small islands rise above the water, mirroring their reflections, and the surroundings are adorned with fragrant lotus ponds.
The event is expected to welcome approximately 1,500 Buddhist leaders, representatives of different Buddhist sects, scientists, scholars, and Buddhist studies researchers, along with practicing Buddhists from over 90 countries and territories worldwide. Additionally, around 10,000 Vietnamese Buddhist followers and local residents are expected to participate.
The Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha visited and examined the artistic details of the Tam Chuc Pagoda complex. He also planted a Bodhi tree as a commemorative gesture.
News and Photos: Hoai Thai – Minh An, Phattuvietnam.net
