Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) – President of the VietnamFatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man visited Bao Quocpagoda, the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on May 5 to offer his congratulationson the occasion of the Buddha’s 2563rd birth anniversary.

Meeting with Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh, permanentmember of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Executive Council and head of theExecutive Council of the VBS chapter in the province, the VFF leader laudedcontributions made by VBS and the provincial VBS chapter to nationaldevelopment over the past years.

He wished that with his prestige, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanhwould continue working for the great national unity and calling on monks, nunsand Buddhist followers to contribute to accomplishing socio-economicdevelopment goals.

Man also asked the provincial authorities to pay furtherattention to religions in the locality and the restoration of local places ofworship to conserve the local religious culture.

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thanh vowed to urge followers tojoin campaigns and movements launched by the VFF while heeding social welfareand charity activities.

On the occasion, Man presented gifts to the Most Venerable andBuddhist followers at the pagoda.

Thua Thien-Hue is now home to 618 Buddhist places of worshipwith a total 643 monks and 524 nuns. Six pagodas in the province have been recognisedas national relic sites.  

The provincial VBS chapter has actively joined humanitarianactivities, offered free health check-ups to poor patients and vocationaltraining to disadvantaged children at a cost of over 100 billion VND (4.34million USD).

The VFF leader also took the occasion to visit and hand overhouses worth 40 million VND each and gifts valued at 300,000 VND each to threepoor households in Huong Thuy township.-VNA