A ceremony to mark the 94 th birthday of the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect’s founder, prophet Huynh Phu So, was held in the sect’s holy land in Phu My town, Phu Tan district, the southern An Giang province on December 27 (the 25 th day of the 11 th month in the lunar calendar).

Representatives of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Southwest Steering Committee, the Military High Command Zone 9, provincial leaders and thousands of Hoa Hao followers attended the event.

Chairman of the An Giang chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Huynh Cong Muoc commended the Central Hoa Hao Buddhist Congregation’s Executive Committee, its provincial representative committees and those at the grassroots level for coming together to form a united community and following the Constitution and laws.

The same day, 34,000 Hoa Hao followers in the southern Vinh Long province joined similar activities in their localities.

At places where Huynh Phu So’s birthday was celebrated, leaders of agencies, organisations and localities spoke highly of the followers and executive committees’ contributions to performing well the Party’s policies and State’s laws.

They have created solidarity between religious and non-religious people to develop their hometowns.

In 2013, the Hoa Hao followers in the province donated over 5.7 billion VND for charitable activities.

On the occasion, the Central Hoa Hao Buddhist Congregation commended three followers who have made remarkable contributions to charitable work during the year in the province.

Founded in 1939 in An Giang province, the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect has developed in 19 provinces and cities nationwide with over two million followers. Hoa Hao combines Buddhism, Animism, Confucianism and indigenous practices. The sect’s motto is: "Loving each other as brothers and sisters, helping each other follow the moral path."

This year, the followers contributed more than 210 billion VND (nearly 10 million USD) to charitable activities and the building of social works.-VNA