Attending the exhibition’s opening ceremony held on June 18 included Most Venerable Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council Thích Thanh Nhiễu, Most Venerable Vice Chairman of the VBS Executive Council cum Director of the VBS Information and Communication Committee Thích Gia Quang, and Venerable General Secretary of the VBS Executive Council Thích Đức Thiện.

Director of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) Department of Buddhist Affairs Bùi Hữu Dược and Sri Lankan Ambassador in Vietnam Hasanthi Dissanayake also joint the opening of the event.

Ambassador Hasanthi Dissanayake speaks at photo exhibition

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ambassador Hasanthi Dissanayake shared that a majority of Sri Lankan population follow Buddhism, and she hoped that through this event, Vietnamese people and Buddhists would further understand the Sri Lankan culture.

Director Bùi Hữu Dược stated that the exhibition on the Buddhist culture and tradition of Sri Lanka would contribute to promote friendship and the people-to-people relation between the two countries.

The event was held on occasion of the Poson festival, which takes annually on the full moon of June to mark and celebrate the anniversary of Buddhism brought to Sri Lanka in the 3^rd century BC. The Poson festival is considered as the second most important Buddhist festival of Sri Lanka, just after the Buddha’s birthday festival.

Some photos at opening ceremony of the exhibition:

TP