America's head diplomat in Vietnam said the event is very similar to Mother's Day in the U.S.
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, accompanied by his husband and two children, visited Kim Lien Pagoda in Hanoi yesterday morning to celebrate the Ghost Festival (Vu Lan) - a traditional event where living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors.
Arriving at the Buddhist temple without his mother and older sister, unlike last year, Osius brought his husband Clayton Bond, their son Tabo and daughter Lucy to the ceremony.
The U.S. Ambassador said he attended the ceremony with his family to show respect for traditional Vietnamese culture.
Osius said it’s important for his two and a half year old son Tabo and one year old daughter Lucy to understand Vietnamese culture.
This is the second time the U.S Ambassador has visited a temple on the occasion. Last year, he went to Quan Su Pagoda - the headquarters of the Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam.
Osius recited prayers in Vietnamese, thanking parents for raising their children
Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Secretary of the VBS Executive Council and the Ambassador during the ceremony.
Kim Lien Pagoda is located in a large flat area in Nghi Tam Village, Quang An Commune. It resembles a lotus flower with two floors and eight roofs. The pagoda is also considered one of the most impressive architectural vestiges in the country.
Osius said Vu Lan ceremony and Mothers' Day in the U.S. are very similar, saying he wanted to show his gratitude to his mother and his deceased father.
The abbot of Kim Lien Pagoda pins a red flower – considered a symbol of love and nobility – on the shirt of the U.S. Ambassador.
Osius’s adopted son, Theodore Alan Bond-Osius (Tabo), also receives a flower of his own.
Buddhist nun Thich Dam Thanh gives the U.S. Ambassador traditional moon cakes as a gift. “Mooncakes are very delicious,” said Osius in Vietnamese.
