A ceremony to welcome the statue, called “Jade Buddha for Peace,” took place on November 26.
Venerable ThienThuc of the executive board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s TayNinh chapter said the statue has been brought to the pagoda so that locals can directly worship and pray for peace and happiness in Vietnam and around the world.
The statue will be placed at Thien Lam–Go Ken until November 30, during which time a number of activities will be held, such as sermons on the Buddha’s teachings, rituals and deliveries of gifts to the disadvantaged.
The statue was carved from an 18-tonne block of gemstone-quality jade discovered in Canada in 2000. The carving was carried out in Thailand and finished in December 2008.
The statue, 2.54m tall and over 4.5 tonnes in weight, has toured more than 100 cities in over 20 countries worldwide.
It was brought to Vietnam for the first time in 2009 and has been displayed in various pagodas around the country.
After finishing its trip in the country, the statue will be permanently placed in Australia.
