The festival, co-organised by theVietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee and the Hanoi Buddhistbranch, aimed to honour the contributions of predecessors like King LyThai To and Buddhist priests who founded Thang Long capital, helpingcreate a Vietnamese culture.
The festival openedwith a singing and dancing programme named “Dong Mau Lac Hong”(Descendants of Dragons and Fairies) in combination with magnanimoussounds of drums.
A ceremony to praise for a peaceful world and prosperity took place in the fanciful light of over 7,000 candles.
The festival concluded with special art performances to praise Buddha and the 1,000 year-old culture of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Also the same night, the Hanoi Buddhist branch and the Committee forOverseas Vietnamese Affairs jointly held a ceremony to launch lanternsand staged a live television programme linking Hanoi , Vientiane andParis at the Tran Quoc Pagoda near the West Lake./.