Thousands of brightly-colored lanterns are being decorated on the embankment of a major canal spanning over several urban districts in Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for Vesak Day, also known as Buddha’s Birthday.

Vesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, a religious figure recognized by Buddhists as a teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end rebirth and suffering, and on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

This year, the occasion falls on May 29.

On that day, the main ceremony to mark the Buddha's birthday will be celebrated at Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda in District 10, according to the Venerable Thich Tri Quang, head of affairs at the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam.

On May 22, the Buddha-bathing ceremony was also organized at this venue, whereas the colorful lanterns were hung along the embankment of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal.

Seven large lotus-shaped lanterns were floated on the canal.

The three-meter-tall lotus flowers, with a diameter of more than five meters, have their base attached to the buoys to float on the water, and are equipped with lighting systems inside to make them shimmer when night falls.

“The lanterns all look so eye-catching that I find it very nice to carry my grandchild here and walk,” Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, a local in Phu Nhuan District, said.

It is anticipated that thousands of Buddhists and local officials will attend the ceremony, which will begin on the early morning of Tuesday and continue into the evening with a series of rituals and activities celebrating the year 2562 in the Buddhist calendar.

Below are some photos capturing lanterns illuminating the night in Ho Chi Minh City.

Seven large lotus-shaped lanterns by Quan Am Monastery are seen on Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Seven large lotus-shaped lanterns by Quan Am Monastery are seen on Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

One of the seven large lotus-shaped lanterns by Quan Am Monastery is seen on Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Local people enjoy a walk along the embankment of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in the beautiful light of brightly-colored lanterns. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, a Phu Nhuan District resident, carries her grandchild while walking along the canal. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A couple choose the shimmery embankment of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal for their date. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A couple choose the shimmery embankment of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal for their date. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Big lamp posts set along the embankment of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal are seen in this photo. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A little girl adopts a pose next to the brightly-colored lanterns. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A local prays for peace in front of a Buddha statue. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A woman watches a brightly-colored lantern. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A man and his two sons watch the lanterns and the giant lotus shining on the canal. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A woman watches the brightly-colored lanterns. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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