Devotees Honor Ancestors During Vu Lan Festival in Ho Chi Minh City
The pagoda is filled with Buddhist devotees who come to express their gratitude and offer prayers to their ancestors and beloved departed. This annual ritual, usually held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, brings people together to honor their ancestors and seek peace. Festival participants light lotus lanterns, a symbolic act of praying for peace and enlightenment. The ceremony features approximately 2,000 lotus lanterns, each carrying the hopes and wishes of the devotees. Candles are lit as a symbol of gratitude and respect for parents and ancestors. The ceremony attracts thousands of Buddhist followers who come to the pagoda to participate in this meaningful event. During the seventh lunar month, devotees visit pagodas and temples to worship ancestors and make offerings. They offer food, clothes, and release birds and fish, along with floating lotus lanterns, as a way to honor their parents and seek blessings. ...