The Vu Lan festival in the Czech Republic (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A requiem has been held in Prague, the Czech Republic on the occasion of Vu Lan (Ullambana) – a major Buddhist festival, to commemorate soldiers who laid down their lives to defend Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty.
Former Vice President Truong My Hoa took part in the event on her working visit to the country to raise funds for the Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund and the “For beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa” club.
She said most Vietnamese expatriates in countries understood more about the significance of sea and island activities after watching documentary films from the club.
In his speech at the event, Most Venerable Thich Thien Bao from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee highlighted the significance of the Vu Lan festival, which falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month (August 17 this year).
He said it is an occasion to pay tribute to parents, teachers, and revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives to safeguard national sovereignty, adding that Vietnamese communities abroad should educate young people to preserve the tradition.-VNA
