2024 Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum Successfully Held in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua Silk Road:

On December 13, the 9th Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum was successfully held in Kathmandu, Nepal, the country where the Buddha was born. Hundreds of Buddhist monks and masters from 28 countries and regions, including China, Nepal, Thailand, India, the United States, Russia, were gathered under the same belief to talk about peace and development.

Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, Chen Song, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, and Wang Qiang, President of Shenzhen Overseas Friendship Association attended the launching ceremony of the forum and delivered speeches.

Venerable Yin Shun, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, and abbot of Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen and China Temple in Nepal, gave a keynote speech, saying that this year is the fifth anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Nepal, and it is the first year of practicing the Declaration of Mount Xuedou formulated by the World Buddhist Forum, and the first year of the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and Nepal. The Roundtable Forum was held in Nepal, to carry forward the spirit of Buddha's compassion, strengthen religious and cultural exchanges between China and Nepal, promote the cultural inheritance of Nanhai Buddhism, and contribute religious wisdom to strengthen the exchanges and mutual understanding of human civilization and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Many dignitaries congratulated the conference by letters or videos. In his congratulatory letter, Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, President of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction, also hoped that the Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum would be held in Laos in 2025 and praised the initiator of the Roundtable, Venerable Yin Shun, as a "contemporary Xuanzang", who has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of international exchanges of Buddhist culture.

Representatives of the participating countries had thorough exchanges and dialogues on the theme of the forum, "Flowing of One Dharma, Harmonizing the World", formed a consensus, and jointly signed the initiative of this year's Roundtable Forum .

On the day of the Forum, more than 200 believers from Shenzhen chartered a plane to Gautam Buddha International Airport to participate in the Prayer for World Peace Puja held during the Roundtable Forum at the China Temple in Lumbini the following day. This is also the second time this year that China and the Airport chartered direct flights.

The launching ceremony of this year's Roundtable Forum and the education sub-forum were held on December 6 in Bangkok, Thailand. During the event in Nepal, the youth sub-forum and the Silk Road Light and Charity Journey will also be organized.