The 21st Conference of the United Nations Day of Vesak Will Be Held in May in Wuxi of Jiangsu Province, China

The 21st Conference of the United Nations Day of Vesak will be held on May 25–28 in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. It is sponsored by the International Council for the Day of Vesak and hosted by the Buddhist Association of China, along with the Jiangsu Buddhist Association. Representatives from the Buddhist community, scholars, experts, and distinguished guests from approximately 70 countries and regions will attend the event.

Under the theme "Buddhist Wisdom in Promoting Global Sustainable Development and Building a Shared Future for Humanity", the event will feature an opening and a closing ceremony, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and a prayer ceremony for world peace. Participants will engage in in-depth discussions on four core topics:

1. Harnessing Buddhist Wisdom for People's Well-Being;

2. Buddhist Contribution to Common Prosperity;

3. Buddhist Practices in Promoting Green Ecology and Planet Protection;

4. Buddhist Wisdom for Building Partnerships for Global Sustainable Peace.

The aim is to uphold the Buddhist teachings of compassion and peace, to embody the spirit of equality, perfect harmony, the Middle Way, and altruism, and to build consensus on and make contribution to addressing global challenges.

Venerable Yanjue, President of the Buddhist Association of China, pointed out that the theme of this year's Day of Vesak clearly reflects the urgency of our times and the global Buddhist community's sense of responsibility to jointly tackle global challenges and build a better future. Over the 2,000 years since Buddhism was introduced to China, it has consistently adapted to the Chinese context, giving rise to the three major traditions of Buddhism with Chinese characteristics, which has contributed wisdom and strength to the preservation of the Buddha's true teachings. Venerable Yanjue noted that the Chinese Buddhist community is willing to work with the global Buddhist community to explore the contemporary value of Buddhist culture, actively promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, share China's valuable experience in developing Buddhism in its context, and jointly pass on the Buddha's true teachings. These efforts aim to foster harmony between humanity and nature, actively respond to the four global initiatives proposed by the Chinese leadership, promote people-to-people bonds, facilitate intercivilization exchanges, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Day of Vesak is a traditional Buddhist festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana of the Buddha. In 1950, the World Fellowship of Buddhists adopted a resolution to celebrate the Day of Vesak. In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized it as an international day. This year marks the first time China hosts the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations. As such, it holds great significance for deepening friendly exchanges and cooperation between Buddhist communities in China and abroad, and for promoting the role of Buddhist wisdom in serving humanity's shared sustainable development and world peace.