President Nguyen Van Duoc rang the peace bell to pray for national peace and prosperity at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda.

According to Giac Ngo Online, on the morning of July 1, the traditional bell-ringing ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity on the first day of operating the two-level local government model took place at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (HCMC).

Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc rings the peace bell at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - Photo: GIAC NGO ONLINE

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Phong - Vice Chairman of the Executive Council, Head of the Central Economic and Financial Committee, Permanent Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Ho Chi Minh City - presided over the ceremony.

Attending were Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc.

With the tradition of Buddhism accompanying the nation in every historical journey, the Standing Committee of the Board of Trustees requests the Executive Committees of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in provinces and cities; and monasteries nationwide to ring the bell three times, to pray for national peace and prosperity, to chant sutras and perform spiritual rituals to pray for peace, to arouse the strength of national unity, the sacred soul of the mountains and rivers of Vietnam.

Talking about the meaning of bells in Buddhism, Venerable Thich Nguyen Cac - Deputy Abbot of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - said that the sound of the great bell reminds people to be awake, awaken their hearts, and turn towards purity, thanks to which the mind becomes gentle, tolerant and loving.

Venerable Thich Thanh Phong during the ceremony at the main hall - Photo: GIAC NGO ONLINE

The Venerable expressed that with the merger and consolidation of 63 provinces and cities to 34 provinces and cities, there are places that will go down in history, for many people there is regret and nostalgia, however, joy is still the main theme. "But overall, there is excitement and anticipation for a bright future for Vietnam" - Venerable Thich Nguyen Cac said.

Venerable Thich Nguyen Cac shared that after Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau merged in terms of administrative boundaries, the monks of Vinh Nghiem pagoda organized a spiritual ceremony called hop tho, hop long according to the traditional ritual of Northern Buddhism, praying for everything to be smooth, unified, synchronized and developed.

At exactly 6:00 a.m. on July 1, more than 18,000 pagodas and monasteries across the country simultaneously rang bells and drums to pray for national peace and prosperity on the first day of the two-level local government model.

According to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, this is an extremely special historical event in the process of the nation entering a new era of prosperous development.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chu-tich-nguyen-van-duoc-thinh-chuong-hoa-binh-cau-quoc-thai-dan-an-o-chua-vinh-nghiem-20250701123205318.htm