Tropical storm Mindulle drenched HCM City on Vu Lan (August 24), but even so, Buddhist temples were very crowded. Tropical storm Mindulle drenched HCM City on Vu Lan (August 24), but even so, Buddhist temples were very crowded.

Cousins Tuyet Hong and Tieu Quyen pin red flowers on each other.

Senior monk Thich Tam Huy said he couldn’t guess many people visited Hoang Phap on Vu Lan holiday but the temple fed four tons of bún (rice noodles) to visitors from the morning to noon.

Hoang Phap Temple forbade visitors to burn votive papers and nobody broke the rule.

In front of the temple gate, a group of Buddhist followers pinned white, pink and red paper flowers on visitors.  The white ‘roses’ are for people whose mother has died. Pink roses mark those who lost their father and red roses those whose parents are both still alive.

Their mothers encouraged cousins Tuyet Hong and Tieu Quyen from Binh Chanh district to pin red roses on each other. Tuyet Hong’s mother said she and her sister wanted the girls to do this to help them understand better the meaning of the red rose and their good fortune.

“This is the first time they have visited a temple on Vu Lan holiday so I want them to respect the meaning of red roses,” she explained.

During the morning, thousands of red roses were handed out. However, many people could only wish they wore a red rose.  Hien Nhi, a 12^th grader from Quang Trung High School in Cu Chi district, related this is the tenth year she has visited Hoang Phap Temple on Vu Lan holiday, always with a white flower on her chest.

Nhi’s mother died when Nhi was only seven months old. She knows her mother only through the stories of her father and brothers. “Others wear red roses and I have a white rose but I’m not sad. This white rose will make my mother feel warmer, knowing her daughter still remembers her on the day of showing gratitude,” Nhi said.

Not many people have such positive thoughts when they pin a white or pink flower on their chest.

Phuong Loan, a Buddhist follower who distributed paper flowers at Pho Quang pagoda, said that her group handed out more than 2000 red, nearly 500 white and 300 pink roses to visitors that morning.

“I saw some people burst into tears, missing their parents, before they pinned a white or pink rose on their chest. I’ve done this job on Vu Lan holiday for many years and I’ve seen that every year!”

Some photos of Vu Lan holiday at Saigon pagodas:

A Buddhist follower wearing a red ‘rose’ distributes the paper flowers at Pho Quang pagoda.

Burning votive papers was discouraged this year.

Not all people are so lucky to wear a red flower.

Buddhists register to attend a requiem at Hoang Phap pagoda.

A Vu Lan procession of monks at Hoang Phap pagoda.

Pilgrims at Vinh Nghiem pagoda.

Pinning red roses to lucky people.

Pinning white roses for those who lost their mother.

Praying on Vu Lan day.

Releasing birds at Vinh Nghiem pagoda.

Source: Tuoi Tre