Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc's heart will be formally enshrined at Quoc Tu Pagoda in HCM City.
The Organising Committee of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 announced that the relic, previously kept at the State Bank of Vietnam's HCM City branch, will be ceremoniously transferred to Quoc Tu Pagoda in District 10 on May 3.
Monks, nuns, Buddhist followers, and the public are invited to pay homage to the relic.
To ensure smooth organisation, visitors are encouraged to register in advance either online or directly at the temple. The Organising Committee emphasised that no fees, floral tributes, or offerings will be accepted to maintain the sanctity of the occasion. Appropriate attire is also required.
Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc, birth name Lam Van Tuat, was born in 1897 in Khanh Hoa Province. On June 11, 1963, he immolated himself at the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung Boulevard and Le Van Duyet Street (now Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Cach Mang Thang Tam streets) in HCM City, in protest against the Ngo Dinh Diem regime's suppression of Buddhism. Thousands of citizens and Buddhists witnessed his act.
Photographs of Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation quickly spread worldwide, drawing global attention and contributing to the end of religious persecution and the escalation of calls for political change in Vietnam.
After approximately 15 minutes of peaceful meditation amid the flames, his body was retrieved and taken to Xa Loi Pagoda for funeral rites before being cremated at the An Duong crematorium. Astonishingly, while the body turned to ash, his heart remained intact.
Despite repeated attempts to cremate it, the heart remained unburned, solidifying into a stone-like relic while retaining its original shape. The Inter-Sect Committee for the Protection of Buddhism decided to enshrine it at Xa Loi Pagoda. Later, it was transferred to Quoc Tu Pagoda and subsequently safeguarded at the State Bank of Vietnam's HCM City branch.
Before Vesak 1964, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha officially recognised Thich Quang Duc as a Bodhisattva. In HCM City, at the site of his self-immolation, a memorial park and statue were inaugurated on September 18, 2010.
Additionally, a street in Phu Nhuan District was named after him to honour his sacrifice.
