Thousands of lotuses glow bright as Vietnam prays for peace

The flower lantern festival was one event in the celebration of the U.N. Day of Vesak 2019, which commemorates the birth of the Buddha. This year the event was held at Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern Ha Nam Province from May 12-14. The festival took place in the pillar garden in the heart of the pagoda, praying for peace in the country and the world.

This area is expected to be the largest pillar garden in the world when it is completed. The garden now has 36 pillars on which Buddhist scriptures are carved. It will have a total of 1,000 stone pillars, each 12 meters high, weighing 200 tons.

Volunteers, devout Buddhists, worked to arrange and light up thousands of lotus lanterns.

A giant lotus was lit up near the shrine in front of the Bodhisattva temple.

Row after row of flower lanterns glowed as twilight set in.

This arrangement used 5000 flower lanterns.

The opening ceremony of the flower lantern festival started at 7 p.m. Monday. The festival sent out prayers for a peaceful world and a happy life for everyone.

Thousands of monks and nuns chanted Buddhist scriptures.

In front of Tam Quan gate, the main three-entrance gate to the pagoda, many people held lotus flower lanterns in their hands to pray before floating them on the lake.

Tam Chuc Lake glowed spectacularly as thousands of lanterns floated on its surface.

The lantern festival lasted two hours and ended at 9 p.m.

The Vesak Ceremony 2019 is being organized by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at the Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam Province. This is the third time the U.N.'s commemoration of Vesak is being held in Vietnam after 2008 and 2014.

The May 12 -14 event attracted the participation of 1,650 international delegates and guests from 112 countries and territories including monks, Buddhist sangha leaders and Buddhist scholars. Over 20,000 Vietnamese people also attend the event.