Dignitaries and followers of the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect gathered at An Hoa pagoda in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on June 15 to celebrate the sect’s 75th founding anniversary.

Addressing the event, Nguyen Anh Chuc from the Government Committee on Religious Affairs, hailed the sect’s contributions to raising the patriotism and solidarity of followers and to supporting national construction and development over the past 75 years.

He called on the sect’s Executive Committee and its chapters to continue abiding by the law and upholding the tradition of solidarity to join local authorities in providing social welfare and maintaining political stability.

Home to more than 800,000 followers, An Giang province is regarded as the Holy Land of the sect, which has around 2 million members nationwide.

Over the past years, under the motto of “For the dharma, for the nation”, Hoa Hao has mobilised its followers to practise frugality and increase social and charitable activities in combination with building new-style rural areas and joining national construction and defence.

On this occasion, the sect’s Executive Committee chapters presented over 2,200 gifts to poor households.-VNA