Ho Chi Minh City pagoda glows during Vesak Day celebrations

Vesak Day is known as Buddha's Birthday on the full-moon day of the fourth lunar month, falling on May 31 this year.

Buddha’s Birthday is an important annual Buddhist event, bringing together monks, nuns, and Buddhists to pray for world peace, happiness, and prosperity.

Along the streets surrounding the pagoda, visitors can easily sense the arrival of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations as flags, flowers, and lotus-shaped lanterns brighten the area.

For many years, Phap Hoa Pagoda has remained one of the city’s most familiar spiritual destinations in the lead-up to Vesak Day.

Continuing its annual tradition, the pagoda began early preparations for the celebration of the 2,570th birthday of the Buddha.

The banks of Nhieu Loc Canal surrounding the pagoda have been adorned with vibrant pink lotus-shaped lanterns.

At night, the area becomes especially striking as decorative lights reflect across the canal, creating a shimmering scene that attracts crowds of visitors.

Venerable Thich Quang Minh, the pagoda’s abbot, said the traditional lantern floating ceremony celebrating Vesak Day will take place at 5:30 pm on May 28 (the 12th day of the fourth lunar month).

A series of activities will also be held throughout the Vesak cultural week until May 31.

As one of the city’s sacred and historic pagodas, Phap Hoa Pagoda attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year who come to pray and pay their respects.

Built in 1928 by Venerable Dao Ha Thanh, the pagoda features Mahayana Buddhism architecture, including a three-entrance gate, courtyard, Buddha hall, and rows of ancestral houses.

Located beside Nhieu Loc Canal, the nearly-century-old pagoda is shaded by large trees that create a cool and peaceful pathway leading to the main hall.

One of the pagoda’s distinctive features is that most of its Buddha statues are carved from jackfruit wood, filling the pagoda with a gentle natural fragrance that enhances its tranquil atmosphere.