The organization of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival has been basically completed.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President, General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the International Buddhist Committee, Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, informed about the United Nations Vesak Festival 2025.

Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Le Minh Xuan campus ( Ho Chi Minh City) is the venue for the main activities of the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival. Photo: Organizing Committee.

The 2025 United Nations Day of Vesak will be held in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 8 with the theme “Harmony and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insight for Peace and Sustainable Development”. The event aims to spread the spirit of compassion and wisdom of Buddhism, contributing to building a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world .

This is the fourth time Vietnam has been chosen by the United Nations to host the Vesak Festival, with the spirit that has been maintained since 1999: Vesak is a cultural and religious festival for peace. The series of events in the festival is held in the fourth lunar month, which is the time when three important Buddhist holidays are gathered: Buddha's birth, enlightenment and nirvana.

“Throughout the previous times held in Vietnam, the Vesak Festival has been organized on a large scale and thoughtfully, and has been highly appreciated by international Buddhism, the United Nations, Buddhists at home and abroad, and people everywhere. This time, the Vesak Festival will officially take place in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 8; preparatory activities will take place from May 2… Activities will take place at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Thanh Tam Pagoda (Binh Chanh District); Vietnam National Pagoda (District 10) and many other locations in Ho Chi Minh City; Ba Den Mountain ( Tay Ninh Province),” said Venerable Thich Duc Thien.

Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh) is one of the venues for activities related to the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival. Photo: Organizing Committee.

According to the 2025 United Nations Vesak Organizing Committee, 1,200 international delegates from 85 countries and territories around the world and 1,500 domestic delegates are expected to attend the main events of the Festival. In addition, the Organizing Committee estimates that about 50,000 compatriots and Buddhists will participate in activities related to the Festival.

Some notable activities at the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival include: The ceremony to welcome the Buddha's relics from India to Tan Son Nhat airport and bring them to Thanh Tam Pagoda (Binh Chanh district) on May 2; the display of the bronze tower containing the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Viet Nam Quoc Tu (District 10) from May 2 to 8, then permanently placed at Da Bao Tower at Viet Nam Quoc Tu.

The opening ceremony, discussions and closing ceremony will be held at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy, Le Minh Xuan campus (Binh Chanh district). The Organizing Committee has received 578 papers from foreign delegations, the most ever; 330 papers in Vietnamese.

“Preparations for the 2025 Vesak Festival are being actively implemented and will be completed before April 28,” said Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/cong-tac-to-chuc-dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-da-co-ban-hoan-tat-698598.html