Highlights of the 2019 United Nations Vesak Celebration
(Baonghean) - The 2019 United Nations Vesak Festival took place at Tam Chuc Pagoda Spiritual Tourism Area, Ba Sao town, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province with many important activities.
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| Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ba Sao, Kim Bang, Ha Nam) is where the activities of the Great Festival will take place from May 11 to 13. |
1. Issue a special stamp set, announce a Buddhist social network to celebrate the Great Festival
The stamp block uses the image of the Jade Tower in the Tam Chuc Pagoda complex. The Jade Tower is located on the top of That Tinh Mountain, 200m above sea level, 13m high, weighing up to 2,000 tons, built entirely of granite slabs crafted by Indian artisans in India and transported to install in the ancient Vietnamese architectural style. The stamp set will be a multidimensional message contributing to honoring the traditional values of Vietnamese Buddhism. The stamp set is available on the public postal network from May 11, 2019 to December 31, 2020.
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| To celebrate the 2019 Vesak Festival, the Organizing Committee of the United Nations Day of Vesak - Vesak 2019 has coordinated with the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Post Corporation, and Postage Stamp Company Limited to announce the special release of the stamp set "Welcoming the 2019 Vesak Festival". |
Immediately after the special release ceremony of the postage stamp set, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) also launched a Buddhist social network with the login name butta.vn to celebrate the 2019 United Nations Vesak Festival. The Buddhist social network butta.vn is directly managed and operated by Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien - Vice President of the VBS Executive Council, General Secretary, Head of the Central International Buddhist Committee of the VBS.
2. Receiving international delegations attending the Grand Ceremony |
Buddha's Birthday, also known as Vesak, is the day commemorating the birth of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini Garden, 624 BC, taking place on the 15th day of the fourth lunar month every year. |
At the Tam Chuc International Buddhist Conference Center, Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs of Vietnam and representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha had a solemn reception for the following delegations: Buddhist delegation and the Communist Party of China's Mass Mobilization Commission; Lao Buddhist delegation and the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction; Cambodian Buddhist delegation and the Cambodian Ministry of Rites and Religions; Thai Buddhist delegation and the Annam Buddhist sect; Korean Buddhist dignitaries and the Vietnam Buddhist Association in Korea within the framework of the 2019 United Nations Vesak Festival.
3. Workshop “Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies”The International Buddhist Conference within the framework of the 2019 United Nations Vesak Celebration was attended by Buddhist Monks, Supreme Patriarchs, Supreme Patriarchs, leaders of Buddhist Churches, leaders of Buddhist organizations, Sangha members and scholars from 110 countries and territories.
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| Monks and nuns attend the Buddha's Birthday celebration. |
Group workshops organized include: Mindful leadership for sustainable peace; Buddhist approaches to harmonious families, healthcare and sustainable societies; Buddhist approaches to global ethics education; Buddhism and the 4.0 Industrial Revolution; Buddhist approaches to responsible consumption and sustainable development.
The conference demonstrates the adaptability of Buddhism to common human problems, aiming to encourage cooperation between Buddhist communities and organizations to apply Buddhist solutions to solve global problems, promote interaction and exchange of cultural and intellectual values between countries and Buddhist organizations around the world.