HCM City (VNA) – As many as 183 houses will be built near Dau Tienglake in the southern province of Tay Ninh for Vietnamese expatriates returninghome from Cambodia.

The houses are expected to cost 11 billion VND (484,000 USD), Most VenerableThich Nhat Tu, head of the culture department under the Vietnam BuddhistSangha’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter, said on August 21 adding that the organisingboard has mobilised 80 percent of total expenditure so far.

The houses will help Vietnamese expatriates stabilise their livelihoods, heunderlined, expecting additional financial contributions from donors.

The project will be announced at a grand music festival to held by the VietnamBuddhist Sangha’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter on August 27 on the occasion of theannual Buddhist holiday of Vu Lan (Ullambana) festival, the Most Venerableadded.

The grand music festival, scheduled at Hoa Binh theatre in Ho Chi Minh City,will stage brilliant performances to express gratefulness to parents.

The Most Venerable said that Vu Lan festival is not only held for Buddhistfollowers but it has become a national spiritual festival for all Vietnamesepeople to promote beautiful value of Vietnamese culture and social morals.

The festival falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in lunar calendar,with this month known as the spirit month in Buddhism. On this month’s fullmoon, wandering souls are believed to return to their former homes.

The festival is based on the legend that once when mediating, a Buddha’sdisciple named Muc Kien Lien saw his mother suffering hell’s tortures.

Following Buddha’s advice, on the seventh full moon of the year, Muc Kien Liengathered monks and devotees and prayed with them for his mother. Therefore, thefestival is to express gratitude towards ones’ parents (especially mothers) andalso help ancestors’ lost souls find their way back to earth.-VNA