Hanoi (VNA) - The two-tier local administration model officially came into operation on July 1, with Vietnam now consisting of 34 provinces and cities, and 3,321 communes and wards.
Marking this sacred historic moment and celebrating the country's entry into a new era of national advancement, at exactly midnight on July 1, nearly 1,000 monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers from the Vietnam Buddhist University (VBU) in Hanoi solemnly held a grand prayer ceremony for national peace and prosperity.
Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Executive Council and Rector of the VBU Hanoi, stated that the restructuring of provincial-level administrative units and the implementation of the two-tier local administration model represent a major revolution in the organisational apparatus - an extraordinary and historic event that is comprehensive and profound, undertaken for the good of the nation and the people.
At 6am on the day, pagodas across the country also simultaneously conduct a ceremonial ringing of bells and drums to pray for national peace, solidarity, and prosperity.
Most Venerable Thich Thanh Quyet affirmed that monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers have always stood alongside State agencies, Party committees, and government authorities, and encouraged the people to implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies.
Buddhism supports the Party and State in uniting the nation and fostering religious harmony, forming a strong and cohesive bloc to together enter a new era of opportunity, success, joy, and fulfillment, he added./.
