Thousands of monks, nuns, Buddhists, and local residents gathered around Phap Hoa Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday evening to release lotus-shaped lanterns onto the water in the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal in celebration of Vesak Day, or Buddha's Birthday on the full-moon day of the fourth lunar month, falling on May 22 this year.

Buddha’s Birthday is an important annual Buddhist event, bringing together monks, nuns, and Buddhists to pray for world peace, happiness, and prosperity.

Happiness and perfection were chosen as the main themes of this year’s event, with the aim of encouraging people to follow the teachings of the Buddha and to build a happy life, a happy family, and a happy society.

In commemoration of the 2,568th birthday of the Buddha and 61 years of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation, Phap Hoa Pagoda, located in District 3, hosted the lantern floating ceremony featuring nearly 10,000 water lanterns.

Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation took place on June 11, 1963.

On that day, when a procession of over 800 Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers arrived at the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung Boulevard and Le Van Duyet Street, now known as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street and Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, respectively, in District 3, Thich Quang Duc soaked himself in petrol, struck a match, and set himself on fire.

His self-annihilation was aimed at protesting against the repression of Buddhists by the American-supported Saigon government, led by then-President Ngo Dinh Diem.

The lantern floating ceremony takes place annually in celebration of Vesak Day to pray for peace and prosperity for Vietnam and its people.

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