The opening ceremony of the 2019 Bai Dinh Pagoda festival was held in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, the northern province of Ninh Binh on February 10 or the 6th day of the lunar new year.
The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival opens on February 10. (Photo: tienphong.vn)
Ninh Binh (VNA) – The opening ceremony of the 2019 Bai Dinh Pagodafestival was held in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, the northern provinceof Ninh Binh on February 10 or the 6th day of the lunar new year.
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh beat the drum tokick off the festival, which saw the participation of dignitaries from theVietnam Buddhist Sangha and thousands of Buddhist followers.
The participants offered incense to pray for favourable weather and bumpercrops.
Bai Dinh Pagoda, which was built thousandsof years ago, has become one of the standout landscapes of the ancient capital. The pagoda has been upgraded andexpanded, representing the Party’s and State’s attention to the freedom ofbelief and religion.
The new Bai Dinh Pagoda, also known as Bai DinhBuddhism Spiritual Centre, covers 700ha, and is the largest in Vietnam in termsof size. “Bai Dinh” means “the worship of heaven and earth, Buddha andcelestial angels”. The pagoda is part of the Trang AnLandscape Complex, which was recognised as a World Cultural and NaturalHeritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganisation (UNESCO) in 2014.
It is now holding several national record-setting relics, including the largest bronzeBuddha statue (150 tonnes), the largest bronze bell (30 tonnes), and thelargest number of Arhat statues (500).
The festival will last until the end of the third lunar month.-VNA
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The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival opens on February 10. (Photo: tienphong.vn) 
