The event to honour the Tran Dynasty’s eminent emperor was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha and the government of Quang Ninh province.
The ceremony saw the attendance of thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns and laypeople, who offered incense to Emperor Tran Nhan Tong and recalled his distinguished career and great contributions to the nation.
He led the Dai Viet Empire to expel two Mongol invasions during his rule and later founded Vietnam’s own Zen school, Truc Lam, after retiring from politics and becoming a monk at Yen Tu.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam emphasised that Emperor Tran Nhan Tong’s philosophical values continue to be promoted in modern times.
Following the commemorative ceremony, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to inaugurate the first stage of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Palace, which will be used as a convention centre for conferences on Buddhism and a venue for major Buddhist rites.
Construction of the palace cost more than VND200 billion (US$8.6 million) and is funded by private donors.
Similar ceremonies were also held on this occasion to honour the third emperor of the Tran Dynasty at Buddhist temples across Vietnam.
Earlier, on December 6, an international conference opened in Yen Tu to highlight the cultural and philosophical uniqueness of the Truc Lam Zen sect, whose first patriarch was Emperor Tran Nhan Tong.
