The Ba Pagoda January Full-moon Festival is a big festival of the province, attracts annually one million pilgrims from all over the country. Thus, ensuring all aspects to have a safe, meaningful festival has been given much attention. Binh Duong Newspaper had an interview with Ms. Nguyen Thu Cuc (image), TDM City People’s Committee’ s Vice Chairwoman cum Steering Committee Chief of the festival…
- Ba Pagoda Festival or January Full-Moon Festival is a big festival in TDM City, attracts a large number of nationwide pilgrims. What will be new in this year’s festival, ma'am?
- The full-moon festival 2015 will be held in most of local Buddhist temples, pagodas, shrines, monasteries, and mainly in Thien Hau Lady Pagoda (Ba Pagoda) in Phu Cuong ward, Bung Cau Lady Pagoda in Hiep An ward, and Ba Pagoda in Hoa Phu ward. Particularly, Ba Pagoda in Phu Cuong ward will organize Ba palanquin pick-up ceremony from 3 pm to 6 pm on January 15th of lunar calendar (March 5th). Bung Cau Lady Pagoda organize Ba palanquin pick-up within their area, Ba Pagoda in Hoa Phu ward will also organize a ceremony but will not pick up palanquin.
This year’s program of the festival will be the same as previous years. However, due to economic growth, higher living standard, cultural and religious needs of the people will be higher causing much higher number of people joining the festival, especially in the 13th, 14th, 15th lunar day.
- In recent days, although the festival has not begun yet, the amount of pilgrims visiting Ba Pagoda in Phu Cuong ward is increasing. To ensure a safe, meaningful festival, TDM City has made what to prepare?
- This year, the Festival Steering Committee set up organizing plans earlier for implementation in order to ensure social security and order, food safety, collect beggars, control market prices as well as handle cases of fake monks to beg for alms.
From the 30th lunar day, we have directed related agencies and forces to ensure public order and security at Ba Pagoda. We set up a commanding position in front of the pagoda to handle timely bad situations.
Although the festival has not begun yet, Ba Pagoda has attracted a large number of visitors.
- Fake monks begging for alms influence negatively on visitors. What did we do to rectify this situation?
- By now, this situation has not happened yet at Ba Pagoda. Board of Trustees of provincial Vietnam Buddhist Sangha issued announcement of prohibiting posing as Buddhist monks for begging. Phu Cuong ward also posted this announcement on pagoda gates. Steering Committee directed Phu Cuong ward to record the announcement and play on speakers so that everybody can know about this.
On the other hand, we have collected beggars, wanderers and sent to Social Welfare Center. Guarantee for these subjects can be carried out after lunar January to prevent these subjects from continuing begging during the festival.
- The number of visitors in this year may be very high. Thus what have we done to ensure food safety and hygiene?
- To ensure food safety and hygiene, TDM City Medical Center has established delegations to inspect food street businesses on this occasion. Inspectors will be equipped with food inspecting instruments. During inspection, food will be destroyed immediately if contain unhealthy additions. In addition, food sellers must do health check-up, and attend trainings of food hygiene.
Before, during and after the Lunar New Year, TDM City Medical Center has established delegations to inspect food safety throughout the city, not only Ba Pagoda area. Medical teams have also checked meals offered by pagodas to ensure food safety and people’s health.
- In previous years, visitors had to incur overpriced food and parking fees. How can we correct this problem, ma'am?
- Marker Control team and Economic Police have examined regularly listed prices at food businesses, parking areas around Ba Pagoda. Parking areas are required to hang banners and price list in front of parking lots. Additionally, hotline of Steering Committee must be also presented at each parking lot for customers’ feedbacks. Businesses or households charging overpriced parking fees will be fined up to VND25 million or have to close down. Food prices will also be managed and controlled like that.
In general, this year’s situation has been improved. TDM City People’s Committee has paid much attention to this festival, especially security, market prices, food safety… in order to ensure the festival happen in favourable conditions, safely, and leave good impressions in hearts of pilgrims.
- Thank you very much!
Reported by H.Thuan – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
