On March 30, at Vietnam Quoc Tu, the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City held a press conference to introduce the 1st Congress of Buddhist Delegates of Ho Chi Minh City, term 2026 - 2031.
Speaking at the press conference, Venerable Thich Le Trang - Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City, Head of the Congress Organizing Committee emphasized that this is the 1st Congress after the merger. This event was selected by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha as a pilot Congress for the remaining provinces and cities across the country.
With the theme "Discipline - Innovation - Effectiveness - Efficiency", the Congress focuses on the quality of content and personnel work in a streamlined and efficient direction. According to the plan, the Congress will take place from April 4 to April 5 in Vietnam Quoc Tu (Hoa Hung ward).
According to the plan, the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Congress is expected to have 600 delegates attending, including delegates of the Patronage Board, delegates of the Central Church, guests, government delegates and 434 official delegates attending the congress.
The congress is expected to be attended by the Supreme Patriarch, the supreme leader of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; dignitaries of the Patronage Council, the Executive Council, leaders of provinces and cities; leaders of the Party and State; central and Ho Chi Minh City agencies; representatives of other religions.
Besides organizational work, this Congress also reviews the great contributions of monks, nuns, and Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City in social security work. Over the past time, pagodas in the area have actively implemented emergency relief programs, coordinated with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to organize field kitchens to support people affected by natural disasters in Khanh Hoa... with a total amount of nearly 4,118 billion VND.
At the Congress, it is expected that there will be 18 papers from professional departments such as the Buddhist Education Department, the Dharma Teaching Department, the Nirvana Department... focusing on solutions to develop the Church in the new period.
This is the most important event of Buddhism in the city, and also towards the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (1981 - 2026). Currently, the preparation and decoration of national flags, Buddhist flags and welcome banners have been completed on the roads towards the Vietnam Quoc Tu area.
