Thousands Join Vesak Procession Celebrating Buddha's Birth in Ho Chi Minh City

Photo: VN Express

On Monday evening, thousands of devotees in Ho Chi Minh City participated in a four-kilometer procession to celebrate Vesak, marking Buddha's birthday. The procession, which featured a statue of the newborn Buddha, moved through the city to reach Viet Nam Quoc Tu, the primary venue for this year's celebrations.

Kicking off the Buddha's Birthday Week (Buddhist calendar year 2569) organized by the Cultural Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha, the event began at An Quang Pagoda in District 10. Monks placed the gold idol on a ceremonial palanquin and, alongside their nuns, performed prayers. A smaller Buddha statue was also carried by the monks.

Vesak, honoring the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the fourth lunar month according to Buddhist traditions. Officially recognized by the United Nations since 1999, Vesak serves as a significant spiritual and cultural festival worldwide.

During the HCMC procession, crowds gathered along the streets, offering prayers and greetings as the palanquin moved past. The route spanned from An Quang Pagoda through several major streets before concluding at Viet Nam Quoc Tu.

Participants, adorned with Buddhist flags, flower lanterns, and lotus-shaped decorations, moved to the sounds of drums and bells. Monks holding statues of the newborn Buddha, symbolizing the Buddhist tradition of the Buddha taking seven steps that each sprouted lotus flowers, led the procession followed by traditionally dressed devotees.

Cam Ly, a university student participating in traditional Vietnamese attire, expressed honor in joining the celebration. This year's procession featured 40 floral parade floats from various Buddhist traditions and sanghas.

At Viet Nam Quoc Tu, the statue was moved to the main stage for a ceremonial bathing ritual, a reenactment of celestial beings bathing the Buddha at his birth, a tradition started in Vietnam during King Ly Thanh Tong’s reign.

The week-long Vesak celebrations at Viet Nam Quoc Tu Pagoda also offer devotees the chance to venerate the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc from May 6 to May 10, further enriching the spiritual experience of this important occasion.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from VN Express 2025-05-06