The ceremony was jointly held by the People's Committee of Le Thuy district and the Organizing Board of "Jade Buddha for Peace" statue and Hoang Phuc Pagoda.

Attending the ceremony was Mr. Hoang Dang Quang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Province's National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Monk Thich Duc Thien, General Secretary of Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam, Head of Hoang Phuc Pagoda; members of the Standing Committees of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and Vietnamese Fatherland Front Committee together representatives of related agencies and localities and local people.

"Jade Buddha for Peace" statue

The “Jade Buddha for Peace” statue was carved from gemstone-quality jade called Polar Pride discovered in northern Canada in 2000. Ian Green, an Australian Buddhist, invited artisans from Nepal, India and Thailand to carve the statue in Thailand.

The statue is modelled on the Siddhartha Gautama Buddha statue inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in India’s Bodh Gaya. It stands 2.7m tall, weighs four tonnes and sits on a 1.4m-high solid alabaster throne. Its size and beauty make it a wonder of the world.

Provincial leaders burn incense to “Jade Buddha for Peace” statue

The statue will be on show at Hoang Phuc Pagoda through April 5 and then come to other northern localities.

The statue was first displayed in various pagodas in Vietnam such as in the central city of Da Nang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Thap in the south, as well as the northern province of Bac Ninh in 2009.

It was then moved to Australia before it toured the US in 2010, Europe in 2011 and Asia in 2012.

According to monk Thich Duc Thien, head of Hoang Phuc Pagoda, the statue was first displayed in Vietnam as “the Vietnamese people love peace and believe in Buddhism, and thanks to the great support of Vietnamese enterprises in Australia.”

After its exhibition in Vietnam this year, the Jade Buddha will be permanently installed in Australia.

Monks and buddhists attend the ceremony to receive “Jade Buddha for Peace” statue

Hoang Phuc, a national historical relic, is an ancient pagoda associated with King Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third king of the Tran Dynasty (1226-1400) and founder of the Truc Lam Zen Buddhist sect.

The pagoda was originally called Tri Kien (or Kinh Thien). It is located in Thuan Trach village in Le Thuy district’s My Thuy commune.

By Nhu Y
(Source: Quang Binh Portal)