A seminar on contributions to the country and Buddhism by Nun Phương Dung took place on April 7 in the Institute for Religious Studies in Hanoi.
The event was organized by the district authorities of Thanh Tri of Hanoi, in collaboration with the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) central Executive Council, the municipal Committee for Religious Affairs of Hanoi and the religious studies institute under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Participating in the seminar included Most Venerable Thích Thanh Nhiễu, Standing Vice President of the VBS central Executive Council, Senior Venerable Thích Đức Thiện, Vice President cum General Secretary of the VBS council, Senior Thích Thọ Lạc, Chairman of the VBS central Committee for Cultural Affairs; Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyễn Tiến Trọng; Assoc. Prof. Chu Văn Tuấn, Chairman of the municipal religious committee Phạm Tiến Dũng, Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Thanh Tri district Phạm Thị Thu Huyền, and large numbers of researchers, religious scholars and representatives of concerning state agencies and municipal authorities.
Vice Chairman Nguyễn Tiến Trọng speaks at the seminar
The one-day event aimed to clarify outstanding contributions in the country history and Vietnamese Buddhism, so as to contribute to the preservation and promotiong of historical and cultural values of the Yen Phu Pagoda relic complex in Hanoi.
Historically, Phương Dung was one of famous generals of the Trung sisters in the rebellion against the Chinese Han-dynasty force in the years of 40-43 of the first century. When the uprising was defeated, Phương Dung, together with Bat Nan, Thieu Hoa and Vinh Huy princesses and other female generals, took refuge in Buddhism and become one of earliest Vietnamese Buddhist nuns. She was currently worshipped in Thanh Van (Yen Phu) Pagoda in Lien Ninh commune of Thanh Tri district and regarded as one of outstanding Vietnamese Buddhist nuns.
The life and her tomb were mentioned in the written materials currently kept in Yen Phu Pagoda. She has received 23 certificates of merit and recommendation of Vietnamese feudal dynasties, and has been regarded as the village tutelage of Yen Phu village of Lieu Ninh commune.
