Beautiful images from the Vu Lan filial piety festival.

As the Vu Lan season approaches, many temples in the province have solemnly organized the 2022 Vu Lan filial piety ceremony. In mid-July of the lunar calendar, temples simultaneously held the Vu Lan ceremony, attracting tens of thousands of participants. Generally, the Vu Lan ceremonies at the temples were organized solemnly with meticulous and thoughtful preparation by the organizing committee, from script and program planning, manpower mobilization, to reception, security, order, and environmental sanitation… Photo: Huy Thu

The Vu Lan Festival, a celebration of filial piety, originates from the story of Mục Kiền Liên (Maudgalyayana) sacrificing himself to save his mother. Upon its introduction to Vietnam, Buddhist culture has become deeply ingrained in the Vietnamese way of thinking and feeling. The Vu Lan Festival also coincides with the full moon of the seventh lunar month – the Mid-Autumn Festival of the Vietnamese people. (In the photo: Welcoming monks and nuns to the Vu Lan Festival at Gám Pagoda (Yên Thành). Photo: Huy Thư)

According to Buddhist beliefs, the seventh lunar month is the "month of filial piety," the Vu Lan festival, with its central meaning being the education of filial piety, embodying the noble humanistic values ​​of Buddhism. In Vietnamese folklore, the seventh month is called the festival of atonement for the deceased, because thanks to the grace of the Buddha and the Sangha, all the suffering souls are liberated and find peace. (In the photo: Vu Lan Festival at Lam Son Pagoda (Quynh Luu). Photo: Van Duc Thanh)

In a solemn and respectful atmosphere, monks and Buddhist followers solemnly performed rituals deeply rooted in Buddhist culture, such as offering flowers and incense, reciting Buddha's name, and chanting the Vu Lan filial piety sutra... In the photo: The Vu Lan Great Ceremony at Co Am Pagoda (Dien Chau). Photo: Le Khuong

Attending the Vu Lan festival, numerous Buddhists received teachings from monks and nuns on topics related to filial piety in Buddhism, family ethics, the merits of parents in raising and nurturing their children, and the issue of filial piety today... Photo: Le Khuong

At the ceremonies, the characteristic ritual of the Vu Lan Festival took place: the pinning of roses onto the chest, expressing the filial piety of children and grandchildren towards their parents and of Buddhists towards monks and nuns, with the desire to preserve and further spread the flame of love and filial devotion. Photo: Huy Thu

Each color of rose in this ritual symbolizes a different meaning: Yellow roses are given to monks – those who continue the Buddha's work in propagating Buddhism and spreading filial piety for generations to come. Red roses are for those whose parents are still alive, a message to cherish them while they are still alive. White roses are for those whose parents have passed away, reminding them to always remember the nurturing love of their ancestors. In the photo: The ritual of pinning roses during the Vu Lan festival at Ha Pagoda (Nam Dan). Photo: Huy Thu

During the Vu Lan festival, there are also rituals of releasing birds into the sky and fish into ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, hoping for good health, peace, and an improved living environment. In addition, on the occasion of Vu Lan, some temples also organize gift-giving for families in difficult circumstances and underprivileged children... Photo: Huy Thu

The Vu Lan Festival, a time for showing filial piety, has stirred the hearts of countless children, turning their thoughts towards their parents and those who gave them life and nurtured them with the most sincere feelings. The Vu Lan Festival is arriving in every corner of Nghe An province, filled with love and profound reflection on the Buddha's teaching: "Even if we dedicate our entire lives, we can never repay the debt of those who gave us life." (Photo: Huy Thu)