The ceremonial procession of the newborn Buddha statue, along with the traditional Buddha bathing ritual, marked the start of the Vesak Week (Buddhist calendar year 2567) in Ho Chi Minh City.

On the evening of May 5, a procession featuring a statue of the infant Buddha and over 50 decorated flower floats began at An Quang Monastery and made its way to Vietnam Quoc Tu for the traditional Buddha bathing ceremony.

This sacred procession is one of the opening events of the cultural celebration of the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Procession groups gathered at Su Van Hanh Street (An Quang Monastery) from 7 PM and proceeded through the following streets: An Duong Vuong - Nguyen Van Cu - Tran Hung Dao - Le Lai - Pham Hong Thai - Cach Mang Thang 8 - Lac Long Quan - Au Co - Le Dai Hanh - and finally to 3/2 Street, the main gate of Vietnam Quoc Tu.

The vibrant procession stretched for hundreds of meters, featuring fluttering flags, radiant floral arrangements, and glowing lights.

The solemn Buddha procession advanced along 3/2 Street, observed by thousands of people who lined the roadside with reverence.

After about two hours, the procession reached Vietnam Quoc Tu and conducted the traditional Buddha bathing ceremony. This ritual is based on the legend of two dragon kings who poured two streams of water - one hot and one cold - to bathe Prince Siddhartha on the day of his birth.

Following the ritual, long queues of participants awaited their turn to bathe the Buddha statue - a symbolic act of reverence and joy in honor of the Enlightened One, Gautama Buddha, born over 2,600 years ago.

According to Buddhist beliefs, Vesak Day commemorates the birth of Gautama Buddha. Born as Prince Siddhartha of the Shakya clan, he is believed to have been born on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month in 624 BCE (according to the Theravada tradition) or the 8th day of the fourth lunar month (according to the Mahayana tradition), in the Lumbini garden located between Kapilavastu and Devadaha in present-day Nepal.

Vietnam Quoc Tu is the new headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha under the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (replacing An Quang Monastery). Inaugurated in 2017, it features a 13-story, 63-meter-high stupa that houses the sacred heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc.

Starting from 2 PM on May 6 (the 9th day of the fourth lunar month), the public will be welcomed to pay homage to the sacred heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at this location.

Nguyen Hue