Under the decision No. 1114/QD-UBND of the An Giang People’s Committeesigned on June 16, 2010, the home-grown Tu An Hieu Nghia was allowed tooperate in line with the law of the State of Vietnam.
Earlier,the religion held it first congress for the 2010-2015 term at Tam Buu -Phi Lai pagoda, Tri Ton district of An Giang province.
As alocally-originated religion, Tu An Hieu Nghia was founded in 1867 byNgo (Tu) Loi in the Bay Nui region of the Mekong delta provinceof An Giang . The religion has so far attracted tens ofthousands of followers, not only in An Giang but also from itsneighbouring localities.
Its tenets are thecombination of the principles of three religions – Buddhism,Confucianism and Taoism. The followers live and practise under theprinciple of learning from Buddhist to cultivate virtue and morals andpaying four debts of gratitude, to one’s parents, country, three refuges- Buddha, Dharma, Sangha – and fellow citizens and all mankind.
During its inception, most of the followers were patriotic feudalintellectuals during the past resistance against the Frenchcolonialists. Later on, Bay Nui remained a revolutionary base ofsouthern Vietnam during the US war for national reunification.
Since being officially recognised by the state,the religion and its authorities have strengthened its system andhelped the party and state to improve social welfare for followers andpeople living in the region./.