Giant jade Buddha statue arrives in northern pagoda

     Thousands of people flocked to the Phat Tich Pagoda in Bac Ninh, the neighboring province of Hanoi, on May 16 and 17 to worship the giant jade Buddha statue.
A solemn ceremony was held in the evening of May 16 at the pagoda to welcome the Buddha statue, attracting around 1,000 officials and followers.
Hoang Ngoc Nam, a representative of the Vietnam Gemstone Association, said: “The presence of the jade Buddha statue at the Phat Tich Pagoda is wonderful. This is also a chance for everyone knows that Phat Tich Pagoda also has another valuable gemstone statue”.
Ian Green, the owner of the giant jade Buddha statue, seemed to be very pleased with the reception activities. He said: “We hope that the presence of this statue will satisfy the local people. After leaving Phat Tich Pagoda, the statue will travel to other places in the world before it is settled at the Peace Tower in Bendigo, New South Wales, Australia”.