The casting of a copper statute dedicated to the King also began in An Ky Sinh by Yen Tu Holy Mountain where the King-Monk’s passage to Nirvana took place. It is designed to be 9.9 m high and weigh about 100 tonnes.

All over the country celebrations were held to mark the 701st anniversary of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong making his journey. 

At the Quang Duc Zen Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of Buddhist dignitaries and followers gathered to offer incense to the King.

The Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Vice President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee, recalled how King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong brought compassion into society under his reign, hoping this valuable lesson would be copied and applied in the present day. 

A ceremony was held in the central province of Quang Nam to honour King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong, who is famous for defeating Mongolian invaders twice. The ceremony was a tribute to the King’s great services to the nation and Buddhism, said the Venerable Thich Chi Dao, Vice Head of the Quang Nam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee. 

Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third emperor of the Tran dynasty, ascended to the throne

when he was just 21. He abdicated his throne at the age of 35 and spent the rest of his life on Yen Tu Mountain practising and promoting Buddhism, and founded the Truc Lam School of Zen (the Bamboo Forest School).

During that time, the King-Monk worked to unify different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism into one complete Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Central Committee has always observed the day King Tran Nhan Tong attained Nirvana (the first day of the eleventh lunar month) as the national anniversary of Vietnamese Buddhism.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working with various ministries and the authorities in Quang Ninh to compile an account of King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong for submission to UNESCO to seek his recognition as a World Cultural Celebrity.