The largest temple in Vietnam is crowded with people in the first days of the year

(Dan Tri) - In the first days of the year of the Dragon 2024, Bai Dinh Pagoda welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to worship Buddha.

On February 16, the Management Board of Bai Dinh Pagoda ( Ninh Binh ) said that from the first day of the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin to now (January 7), the pagoda has welcomed about 150,000 monks, nuns, Buddhists, and tourists from all over the country to visit the pagoda and worship Buddha in the first days of the new year.

For the past 10 years, the Bai Dinh Pagoda festival has been held annually on the 6th of January. However, since the 1st day of Tet, the pagoda has opened its doors to welcome visitors from near and far to pray for peace in the new year.

Attending the opening ceremony of Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival in the spring of Giap Thin 2024, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Abbot of Bai Dinh Pagoda, and Mr. Doan Minh Huan, Secretary of Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee, performed the ritual of ringing the bell and drum three times to start the spring festival.

After ringing the bell and drum to open the festival, the leaders of Ninh Binh province and monks and nuns held an incense offering ceremony, praying for peace and prosperity for the country, favorable weather, and good crops. The abbot of Bai Dinh pagoda said that the pagoda has a history of more than 1,000 years, associated with National Master Nguyen Minh Khong. Having gone through the ups and downs of history, the ancient pagoda has been preserved to this day and for the future.

After the opening ceremony, the number of people from all over the world flocked to the largest pagoda in Vietnam, which holds many world records, Southeast Asia and Vietnam. Many areas in the pagoda such as: La Han corridor, Tam The Palace, Quan The Am Palace, Bao Thap... were packed with people.

For many years, Bai Dinh Pagoda has been famous, becoming a "hot" spring destination in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and a must-see in the North at the beginning of the new year.

This year, the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival is the opening event, celebrating 10 years since Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized by UNESCO as the first "dual heritage" of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival is an important religious event in Vietnamese spiritual culture, lasting until the end of the third lunar month. The ceremony and festival with rituals performed such as: Offering incense, remembering the merits of the ancestors; chanting Buddha to pray for protection and national peace and prosperity; the rituals of carrying palanquins to the ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda...

Every year, people flock to the 1,000-year-old temple to worship Buddha, praying for health, happiness and peace for themselves and their families.

Bai Dinh Pagoda (Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh Province) is located in the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - a World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Every year, the pagoda welcomes millions of visitors, is an attractive destination, contributing to promoting and preserving the outstanding global value of the Trang An World Heritage.

Dantri.com.vn

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