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| Two out of the seven giant lotus lanterns are placed on the Huong River to mark Vesak celebrations BE 2570 (Photo: VNA) |
Hue (VNA) – The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) chapter in Hue city on May 21 held a ceremony to place seven giant lotus lanterns on the Huong River in Thuan Hoa ward to mark Vesak celebrations BE 2570.
A lighting ceremony for the seven lotus lanterns, praying for national peace and prosperity, will take place on the evening of May 24, marking the opening of the Vesak celebrations in Hue. The seven lotus flowers symbolise the seven lotus steps associated with the birth of the Buddha.
As part of Vesak 2570 celebrations, the VBS chapter in Hue will organise a range of activities, including scripture chanting ceremonies at Tu Dam Pagoda, a Buddhist cultural exhibition at Lieu Quan Cultural Centre, flower offerings and visits to martyrs’ cemeteries, as well as charity and social welfare programmes supporting disadvantaged households.
The main Vesak ceremony is scheduled for May 31 and will feature a flower-adorned vehicle parade and a floating lantern festival at the Nghinh Luong Dinh relic site along the northern bank of the Huong River.
A highlight of this year’s celebrations is the vegetarian food festival, jointly organised by the Hue VBS chapter and the Hue Festival 2026 organising committee on May 28–29 at Nguyen Dinh Chieu pedestrian street in Thuan Hoa ward.
The festival will feature 56 booths showcasing around 100 vegetarian dishes prepared by hotels, restaurants and pagodas from both Hue and other localities. Organisers expect the event to attract more than 5,000 visitors.
With meticulous preparation and a balance of flavour, colour and nutrition, the festival is expected to offer visitors a rich culinary experience highlighting Hue’s distinctive vegetarian cuisine.
According to the Hue Festival 2026 organising committee, vegetarian cuisine represents not only dietary culture but also a humane and compassionate philosophy of life that promotes harmony between people and nature.
Through carefully crafted dishes, visitors can appreciate traditional cultural values, inner peace and messages of green and sustainable living increasingly embraced by the community.
All proceeds raised through social contributions will be used for charity and social welfare programmes, including livelihood support for disadvantaged families, poor students and vulnerable groups in the locality.
Organisers said the initiative aims to further spread the spirit of solidarity and compassion while promoting the nation’s long-standing humanitarian traditions and the deeper humanistic values embodied in the vegetarian food festival./.
