Binh Dinh Province's Management Committee of Vietnam Buddhist Church celebrated solemly Buddha’s 2,551st birthday - Buddhist calendar (solar calendar 2007) at the Pagoda of Binh Dinh provincial Vietnam Buddhist Church in the morning of May 31. Attending the ceremony were Mrs Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh – Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province People's Committee, Mr Duong Thanh Binh – Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh provincial Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, the representative leaders of Quy Nhon city and Binh Dinh provincial departments, committees and unions.

At the ceremony, the members of Binh Dinh Province's Management Committee of Vietnam Buddhist Church with a crowd of Buddhist monks and nuns, followers and co-religionists listened to the message of Buddha’s 2551st birthday - Buddhist calendar which Vietnam Buddhist Church 's Standing Committee of Superior Council had addressed to domestical and oversea Buddhist monks, nuns and followers; the lecture of the superior Buddhist monk - Chairman of Management Committee of Vietnam Buddhist Church and the greeting letter of the grand ceremony which Chairman of Central Committee of Viet Nam Fatherland Front had sent to  Buddhist dignitaries and the whole monks, nuns and followers.

Addressing the ceremony, on behalf of Binh Dinh provincial Committee of Viet Nam Fatherland Front, Mr Duong Thanh Binh warmly greeted superior Buddhist monks, monks, nuns and followers, acclaimed the valuable distribution of Binh Dinh Province's Management Committee of Vietnam Buddhist Church, Buddhist dignitaries and the whole monks, nuns and followers for the national unity achievement. Mr Binh hoped that Management Committee and all the monks would continue to distribute and better apply Buddhist catechism as well as the aims and guidelines of Vietnam Buddhist Church with the generous, tolerant and humane spirit, live and lead a religious life in the way "good life, good religion", appreciate the benefit of people and nation, concentrate the will, energy and brainpower to make the Church better, unite and strongly attach together in great national unity block, continue to distribute to the cause of national industrialization and modernization for the goal of "a rich people, a strong country, a. just, democratic and civilized society".

Also at the ceremony, representative leaders of province and provincial departments, committes, unions thurified Buddhist altar, set free birds and balloons with Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns and attended the Buddha worship ceremony. 

• Reported by Nguyen Suong

• Translated by Ngoc Tu