Nearly 1,000 Buddhist monks and nuns pray for national peace and prosperity, marking a historic moment.

Today, July 1, the two-tier local government model officially comes into operation. The country has 34 provinces and cities and 3,321 communes and wards.

Monks and lay people light candles to pray for national peace and prosperity. (Photo: VNA)

Marking a sacred historical moment, welcoming the Vietnamese Fatherland into the era of national growth, with the Buddhist tradition accompanying the nation on every historical journey, at exactly 0:00 on July 1, nearly 1,000 monks and nuns of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Hanoi solemnly held a Grand Ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, Vice President of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and President of the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Hanoi, said that the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units and the implementation of a two-level local government model is a great revolution in organizational structure, a rare historical event, powerful and comprehensive for the country and the people.

Expressing his joy at the country's important event, the Venerable shared, "The Sangha and Buddhists are very excited and happy with the historic decisions of the Party and State. We have launched all pagodas in the country to ring the bell at exactly 6:00 a.m. on July 1, 2025 to enter a new era - a new opportunity for the nation."

“This is the sacred moment of a new day, a new hour, a new minute of a new opportunity, a new fortune for the country. I see red flags flying in every ward and commune, people are excited, happy, and joyful before the historic festival of 'rearranging the country' of the Party and State," said the Venerable.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet affirmed that monks, nuns, and Buddhists always accompany State agencies, Party committees, and authorities; and encourage people to implement the Party and State's guidelines, policies, and strategies. Buddhism helps the Party and State unite the nation and religions into one bloc to step together into a new era of success, joy, and fulfillment.

Sharing the profound words of General Secretary To Lam : “The country is the homeland,” Buddhist monk Thich Dieu Khiem - Class HV1, expressed that the country is not an abstract concept, but the sum of thousands of homelands, where each citizen was born, grew up and engraved in their hearts each beloved sky. More importantly, those changes are not separate but are contributing to the connection. When the homelands join hands to move forward, share infrastructure, resources, and development opportunities - then each small sky is truly contributing to the storm, lighting up the common sky of the country.

According to monk Thich Tue Thanh, the merger of administrative units is not only an organizational decision, but also touches the emotions, memories and pride of the people for their homeland. A change in administrative name cannot erase cultural identity, because names can be combined but each person still keeps their own memories.

Pursuant to document No. 284/HĐTS-VP1 of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, at 6:00 a.m. on July 1, 18,491 pagodas nationwide simultaneously rang the bell and drum three times to pray for national peace and prosperity.

Nuns light candles to pray for national peace and prosperity. (Photo: VNA)

In document 284 signed by Most Venerable Elder Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, it is stated that July 1, 2025 is the first day of operation of the new provinces and cities after the merger and operation of the 2-level local government model nationwide.

This is an extremely special historical event in the process of the nation entering a new era of prosperous development.

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

According to VNA

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/gan-1-000-tang-ni-phat-tu-cau-nguyen-quoc-thai-dan-an-danh-dau-thoi-khac-lich-su-253696.htm