A grand requiem was held at the Huong Van Zen Monastery of the Huyen Tran Cultural Centre in the central city of Hue on May 8-9 to commemorate national heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for national independence.

The activity aimed to mark the 36 th anniversary of liberation of the south and national reunification, Buddha’s birthday and the 30 th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (1981-2011).

Speaking at the ceremony, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), said that the requiem offered an opportunity for all Vietnamese people to reminisce about the glorious history of the nation and together implement the Buddhism and the nation’s tradition of paying tribute to the sacrifice of heroes, martyrs and patriots who laid down their lives for peace and national independence.

On the occasion, the organisation board presented 50 gifts, each worth 1 million VND, to policy beneficiary families in Thue Thien-Hue province./.