A grand ceremony was held at Bai Dinh Pagoda in the northern province of Ninh Binh on January 23 to pray for world peace and the country’s prosperity.
The ceremony saw the participation of thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns and followers and tourists.

The event is held on the sidelines of a ceremony to receive the UNESCO’s certification honoring Trang An tourism complex as a world cultural and natural heritage site. 

The ceremony aims to highlight the nation’s valuable traditions while encouraging Buddhist followers and the public to do their best for a better society. 

Covering an area of over 6,000 hectares, the Trang An complex consists of the Hoa Lu ancient citadel, Trang An-Tam Coc-Bich Dong natural scenic site, and the Hoa Lu primeval forest. The complex is often called Vietnam's Ha Long Bay on land. 

The picturesque landscape of Trang An is a harmonic combination of mountains, valleys and lakes with numerous caves inside stunning limestone karst mountain ranges. 

Moreover, it is surrounded by primary forests with a wide variety of flora and fauna systems. 

The area is a cradle of civilisation of ancient Vietnam, and is also home to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, more than 1,000 years ago. The site boasts 47 historical relics. 

Bai Dinh Temple is a complex of Buddist temples on Bai Dinh Mountain in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province. The compound consists of the original and a newly created temple. It is considered the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam and has become a popular site of Buddhist pilgrimages from across Vietnam.