Paris (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai, together with staff of the embassy, representatives of Vietnamese agencies in the country and a large number of overseas Vietnamese, visited the Truc Lam Zen Monastery and Khuong Viet Pagoda on February 17, the first day of the Lunar New Year, to pray for peace for their families and the homeland.
Hai extended New Year greetings to the resident monks and nuns as well as the Vietnamese community in France, expressing his hope that the expatriates will continue to uphold solidarity, integrate actively into the host society and make practical contributions to the Vietnam – France friendship while maintaining close ties with their homeland.
On the first day of the Year of the Horse, the Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Villebon-sur-Yvette welcomed a large number of visitors. In the tranquil setting, Buddhists and overseas Vietnamese offered incense and prayers for a peaceful and favourable year, family harmony and their children’s progress in study and life.
In addition to the New Year’s Eve gathering and early spring tea held on February 16 and the full-moon prayer ceremony scheduled for March 1, the monastery is organising chanting and requiem rituals on February 17–18 and 22.
Meanwhile, Khuong Viet Pagoda – a familiar spiritual and cultural venue for the Vietnamese community in France – also drew many worshippers. On the first day of the year, Most Venerable Thich Tinh Quang presided over a ceremony praying for national peace, prosperity and the well-being of Buddhist followers.
Speaking to VNA correspondents, the abbot said that alongside religious activities, the pagoda has maintained various community programmes such as Vietnamese language, flower arrangement and cooking classes, along with the introduction of traditional cuisine, helping preserve the national cultural identity among overseas Vietnamese.
Like their fellows at home, visiting pagodas at the beginning of the year has become a cherished spiritual practice for Vietnamese in France. Despite living far from their homeland, they continue to uphold this tradition as a way to connect with their roots, foster community bonds and express hopes for a peaceful and prosperous new year for both their families and Vietnam./.
