Buddist items on display at the exhibition (Photo: HTV)
On May 5, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) opened a Buddhist cultural exhibition at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in HCM City. Under the theme "Where Arts and Spirituality Converge", the event serves as a tribute to the UN Day of Vesak, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha.
The opening ceremony was attended by Most Venerable Dr Tampalawela Dhammaratana, Executive Vice President of the International Council for the Day of Vesak; senior leaders of the VBS; representatives of central and local authorities; and a large number of monks, nuns, followers and Buddhist culture enthusiasts.
Speaking at the event, Most Venerable Thich Hai An, Standing Vice Chairman of the VBS Central Committee's Culture Board, said the exhibition is a celebration of Vesak, a convergence of arts, history, and spirituality that showcases the depth of Vietnamese Buddhism within the flow of human civilisation.
Through artefacts, images and handcrafted items, including national treasures reflecting the evolution of Buddhism in Vietnam, the exhibition presents a comprehensive view of the Vietnamese Buddhist culture across language, ritual attire, architecture and heritage.
Notably, it features, for the first time, information and models of 87 Buddhist national treasures currently preserved in museums, temples, and relic sites across the country.
The same day, the VBS Central Committee's Culture Board hosted several ceremonial and cultural events on campus, including the raising of a 500sq.m Buddhist flag and a 10m-tall international Buddhist globe symbol, a traditional Buddha bathing ritual, the creation of a sand painting of the Buddha’s birth, the opening of a tea ceremony area, and the lighting of seven giant lotus lanterns on the Ca Ty River.
Later in the evening, a public Buddhist art performance was held at Lang Le Park in Binh Chanh district./.