Grand prayer for national peace, prosperity marks nation’s sacred historic moment

The two-tier local administration model officially came into operation on July 1, with Vietnam now consisting of 34 provinces and cities, and 3,321 communes and wards. Marking this sacred historic moment and celebrating the country's entry into a new era of national advancement, at exactly midnight on July 1, nearly 1,000 monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers from the Vietnam Buddhist University (VBU) in Hanoi solemnly held a grand prayer ceremony for national peace and prosperity. At 6am on the day, pagodas across the country also simultaneously conduct a ceremonial ringing of bells and drums to pray for national peace, solidarity, and prosperity. VNA Photo: Minh Đức