The Tu An Hieu Nghia or “Four debts of gratitude” religion received the decision of recognition at a ceremony held in the southern province of An Giang on July 27.

Under the decision No. 1114/QD-UBND of the An Giang People’s Committee signed on June 16, 2010, the home-grown Tu An Hieu Nghia was allowed to operate in line with the law of the State of Vietnam.

Earlier, the religion held it first congress for the 2010-2015 term at Tam Buu - Phi Lai pagoda, Tri Ton district of An Giang province.
As a locally-originated religion, Tu An Hieu Nghia was founded in 1867 by Ngo (Tu) Loi in the Bay Nui region of the Mekong delta province of An Giang . The religion has so far attracted tens of thousands of followers, not only in An Giang but also from its neighbouring localities.

Its tenets are the combination of the principles of three religions – Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. The followers live and practise under the principle of learning from Buddhist to cultivate virtue and morals and paying four debts of gratitude, to one’s parents, country, three refuges - Buddha, Dharma, Sangha – and fellow citizens and all mankind.

During its inception, most of the followers were patriotic feudal intellectuals during the past resistance against the French colonialists. Later on, Bay Nui remained a revolutionary base of southern Vietnam during the US war for national reunification.

Since being officially recognised by the state, the religion and its authorities have strengthened its system and helped the party and state to improve social welfare for followers and people living in the region./.