1,200 international delegates expected to attend the 2025 United Nations Vesak Festival

Ho Chi Minh City is rushing to complete the final stages to welcome the 20th UN Vesak Festival, taking place from 6-8/2025 at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (Binh Chanh district).

This is a particularly meaningful international cultural diplomacy event of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and the whole country, taking place in the context of the country celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), and the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025).

According to Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President - General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vice President - General Secretary of the National Organizing Committee of the 2025 UN Vesak Festival, Vietnam's hosting of the UN Vesak Festival is an opportunity to introduce to international friends the image of the country and people of Vietnam who love peace, friendliness, solidarity and harmony, a dynamic, creative, prosperous and thriving Ho Chi Minh City after 50 years of liberation. Vietnam integrates, develops and strives with the world in the new era.

With the main theme “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development”, the Festival will include many rich activities. Highlights include an international conference with 578 presentations (including English and Vietnamese), focusing on topics of peace, sustainable development, and the application of Buddhist teachings in modern society; special Buddhist cultural and artistic events, cultural exhibitions, flower lantern ceremonies, etc.

Venerable Thich Duc Thien informs about the 2025 UN Vesak Festival.

The opening ceremony of the Buddha relics, the national treasure of India, will take place on May 3 at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Binh Chanh District and the heart relics of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Viet Nam Quoc Tu (District 10). The main venue for the opening ceremony (May 4), closing ceremony (May 8) and the seminars will be the Auditorium of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (Le Minh Xuan Campus, Binh Chanh District). Cultural festival events and the enshrinement of Buddha relics will take place at Thanh Tam Pagoda and Lang Le Park (next to the Academy).

The international art exchange night, expected to gather art troupes from many countries, will be held at Sala Theater (Thu Duc City). In addition, the Organizing Committee will also arrange a tour of the Sun World Ba Den Mountain Cultural Tourism Area (Tay Ninh) for delegates after the closing ceremony.

The Vesak Festival is expected to welcome about 1,200 international delegates from 85 countries and territories, along with about 1,500 domestic delegates including leaders of the VBS, representatives of the Party, State, ministries, central and local departments and branches, and a large number of outstanding Buddhists.

The force serving the Great Ceremony is up to more than ten thousand people, including 550 volunteers from universities in Ho Chi Minh City, 1,000 monks and nuns from the Academy, 1,200 people serving in logistics, 4,000 young students attending the lantern festival, and 6,000 Buddhists from pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the Organizing Committee, tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the activities of the 2025 UN Vesak Festival.

The UN Vesak Festival is a cultural activity of the United Nations. The 54th session of the UN General Assembly on December 15, 1999 decided that Vesak or the Three-Day Festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni is a religious and cultural festival for peace.

Since 2000, the UN Vesak Festival has been held 19 times at the United Nations Headquarters and other countries around the world. Vietnam has successfully hosted and organized 3 UN Vesak Festivals in 2008 at the My Dinh National Convention Center, Hanoi; 2014 at Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh Province; and 2019 at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam Province.

Nha An

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/du-kien-1200-dai-bieu-quoc-te-tham-du-dai-le-vesak-lien-hop-quoc-2025-post545708.html