The celebrations began in Hanoi’s 14 districts on May 5 and will last till May 11. The nearly-1,000 year-old Hoe Nhai Pagoda was selected to celebrate the event for tens of thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns and followers in Ba Dinh district. Senior monk Thich Chinh Tin said the pagoda was refurbished a month ago with colourful decorations, including a large bandrole “Buddhism-Nation-Socialism” hung in front of the pagoda. 

“Lord Buddha’s birthday is observed every year and Buddhist followers are happy this year as we celebrate the 2630^th birth anniversary of the Buddha,” said monk Tin.

More than 500 Buddhist followers attended a similar ceremony at Dai Bi Pagoda in Yen Duyen village, Yen So ward, Hoang Mai district on the outskirts of Hanoi on May 9.

“Buddhist followers in Yen Duyen village have been waiting for the event for a long time. We are very happy because this year’s celebration was organised solemnly,” said Nguyen Thi Tuat, a local Buddhist, who attended the ceremony.

According to Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nha, deputy secretary of Hanoi Buddhist Chapter, Hanoi currently has more than 700 pagodas. In response to a message from the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, this year’s activities focus on poor people and policy beneficiary families. Most Venerable Nha said that Hanoi Buddhists congratulated the Communist Party of Vietnam on its recent successful congress and expressed their trust in the Party’s guidelines to better serve Buddhism and the nation.

2006 also marked 25 years of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Monk Thich Chinh Tin from Hoe Nhai Pagoda said the Party and State have paid special attention to religious practices since the Sangha was established.

“We are allowed to hold festivals and masses every year, which attract a large number of Buddhist followers. In addition, followers are encouraged to promote the official sect and fight superstition,” said monk Tin.

On May 9, Vice Mayor of Hanoi Ngo Thi Thanh Hang and representatives from the municipal Board for Religious Affairs visited and presented gifts to dignitaries of major pagodas in Hai Ba Trung and Dong Da districts, which used to serve as the revolutionary bases during the resistance war. Ms Hang said she believes that the dignitaries, monks and nuns will make further contributions to the city’s construction and development in the coming time.
The same day, Ho Chi Minh City authorities also visited dignitaries of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Vietnam Buddhist Academy and the municipal Buddhist Sangha.

2006 is the first year that Lord Buddha's birthday has been recognised by the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a world religious festival, and is also the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Meanwhile, the same day, officials from the Fatherland Front and the Committee for Religious Affairs of central Quang Nam province met with Buddhist dignitaries in the province on the occasion of Buddha's 2630th birth anniversary and the Buddhist calendar’s 2550th year.

In recent years, the Executive Board of the provincial Buddhist Sangha has encouraged Buddhist followers to take part in patriotic emulation movements and implement the State's policies, contributing to socio-economic development and maintaining security in the province. Buddhist followers have also actively taken part in social and humanitarian activities.

Many pagodas and monasteries have been upgraded and built in Quang Nam. On this occasion, the province sent delegations to visit and present gifts to Buddhist dignitaries.

Various Buddhist activities also took place in other provinces such as Vinh Phuc and Quang Ninh in the north, Ninh Thuan in the centre and An Giang in the south.