Thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns, followers, and tourists flocked to the Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) festival that opened in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on July 15 or the 19th day of the sixth lunar month.

The two-day festival includes a ceremony to pray for peace of the nation with balloon and pigeon releases, and other activities featuring Buddhist culture, including incense offerings and a Buddhist family camp.

It is held annually at the Quan The Am Buddhist Spiritual Tourism Centre in Huong Thuy town by the provincial chapter of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Committee.

It aims to enrich and preserve the spiritual cultural heritage of the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage site, the imperial city of Hue, which welcomed one million tourists over the past six months of the year.-VNA