HA NOI (VNS) — Hoang Nguyen Thanh and Dang Cam Tu won the Ta Cu Mountain Climbing Marathon yesterday. Thanh of Binh Phuoc Province topped the men's category of 6.3km, in which the athlete ran 4km and climbed 2.3km. He was followed by Tran Van Cong and Do Van Tin, also from Binh Phuoc. Their teammates dominated the women's event. Tu finished first after running 3km and climbing 2.3km. Lam Thi Thuy and Pham Thi Quynh Tram came in second and third, respectively. Their success pushed Binh Phuoc to the top of the team ranking. Binh Thuan placed second, followed by Binh Duong. — VNS … [Read more...]

HA NOI — Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, vice president of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha's executive council, passed away in Ha Noi on Saturday at the age of 85. Tu also served as head of the Viet Nam Buddhist Academy in Ha Noi and was a National Assembly deputy from 1997 to 2010. He was born in 1927 in Kim Dong District in the northern province of Hung Yen. He began studying Buddhism at Nho Lam Pagoda in Kim Dong District at the age of five. He also took an active part in revolutionary activities during the wars. He made a significant contribution to merging nine Buddhist sects and organisations into the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha. He encouraged Buddhist monks, nuns and followers to practice the religion in line with Party guidelines and State policies, as well as participating in national emulation movements and humanitarian campaigns and enhancing solidarity among religions in the country. He was awarded noble distinctions by the Party, the State, and the Fatherland Front, … [Read more...]

Nhan Dan Online - Nguyen Hoang Nam and Le Thanh Tu were crowned respective champions in the men's and women's individual categories at the 2012 National Chess Tournament for Outstanding Players, which concluded yesterday in Ho Chi Minh City. Ninth seeded Hoang Nam (Elo 2263) from the Military team amazed everyone by surging past higher-ranking players such as Nguyen Van Huy (Elo 2505), Nguyen Duc Hoa (Elo 2503) and Cao Sang (Elo 2497) to finish top in the men's section with seven points. It came as no surprise in the women's competition when top seed Thanh Tu from Hanoi (Elo 2327) claimed the overall title with 7.5 points, followed by teammate Hoang Thi Bao Tram (Elo 2317) and Kien Giang's Pham Bich Ngoc (Elo 2181) with seven points each. The annual meeting brought together 47 players from across the country, battling it out for the individual titles in the men's and women's sections according to the nine-round Swiss system. The week-long event aimed to select the best players … [Read more...]

The Yen Tu Spring Festival opened Saturday (February 12) on the Yen Tu mountain, one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. The festival will last three months. Prominent at the opening ceremony in the northern province of Quang Ninh were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's Executive Council. The officials and Buddhist dignitaries as well as monks, nuns, followers and visitors offered incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then left the throne to devote his life to Buddhism. They also joined another ceremony to pray for peace for the country and its people. Right after the opening ceremony, martial arts, cheo (traditional operetta), and dragon and unicorn dances were performed. Yen Tu has received more than 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year. The site received more than 2.1 million … [Read more...]

The annual Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh opened with a ceremony on Feb. 12 (tenth day of the first lunar month). Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum to launch the start of the festival. Prominent guests at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan, the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors. All joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then renounced the throne to devote his life to Buddhism. All present also joined another ceremony to pray for peace for the country and the citizens. According to the organizing committee, the weather this year has been so pleasantly conducive that a large number of visitors are being drawn to the Festival. The Tung lam tour Company is making use of the cable car system to serve tourists who want … [Read more...]

Prominent those present at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu. Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined together in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293. Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 250,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and its festival will last three months during spring. Yen Tu mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the mountain's highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level. The area's beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with surrounding ancient pagodas and hermitages, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his … [Read more...]

Buddhist Patriarch Tu passes away Present at the function were a delegation from the Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariat led by Ngo Van Du who is also politburo member of the PCC and Head of the PCC’s Commission for Inspection; a delegation from the State President’s Office led by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan; a delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee led by VFF Vice President and General Secretary Vu Trong Kim. On behalf of the Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariat, Mr Ngo Van Du wrote in the funeral book “The Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu- a Buddish monk of great morality who devoted his whole life to the Buddha Dharma and the nation." Wreaths were sent to the pagoda by Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Truong Tan Sang, Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Sinh Hung, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, VFF President Huynh Dam, former Party leaders Do Muoi, Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh; … [Read more...]

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, passed away on Nov. 26 at the age of 85. Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu (real name Tran Van Long) was born in 1927 in Song Mai commune, Kim Dong district, the Red River Delta province of Hung Yen . The Most Venerable was also a member of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Patronage Council, a deputy to the 11 th and 12 th National Assemblies, and a member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee. When he was five years old, he left home to live in Nho Lam pagoda in Kim Dong district, where he began studying Buddhism. The Buddhist dignitary made a significant contribution to merging nine Buddhist sects and organisations and setting up the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. He had encouraged Buddhist monks, nuns and followers to practice their religion in line with the Party’s and State’s guidelines, policies and laws, as … [Read more...]

The obituary says the Buddhist dignitary was born in 1927 in Kim Dong district, the northern province of Hung Yen, about 40km away from Hanoi. When he was five years old, he left to live in Nho Lam pagoda in Kim Dong district, where he started studying Buddhism. He later took an active part in revolutionary activities under the leadership of the Party and the Viet Minh Front. He made a significant contribution to merging 9 Buddhist sects and organisations into the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, and cementing unity between religions living under the same roof of the Vietnamese nation. He encouraged Buddhist monks, nuns and followers to practice the religion in line with Party guidelines and State policy, as well as participating in national emulation movements and humanitarian campaigns. The Party and State awarded him noble distinctions, including the Resistance Order (first class), the Independence Order (second class), and the Great National Unity Order. In October 2011, the State … [Read more...]

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum, opening the Yen Tu Pagoda Spring Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on February 12, the tenth day of the first lunar month. Prominent at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu. Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then left the throne to devote his life to Buddhism. They also joined another ceremony to pray for peace to the country and people. Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last three months during spring. The site received over 2.1 million visitors in 2010. Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of … [Read more...]