Buddhist Association of China observes Buddha's birth anniversary

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Buddhist Association of China on Wednesday held a commemorative event at Guangji Temple in Beijing to observe the birth anniversary of the Buddha.

Sutra chanting and Buddha bathing rituals were held during the event, which was attended by representatives from China's major Buddhist communities, as well as foreign envoys.

Addressing the event, Master Yanjue, head of the association, lauded generations of Buddhists for building bridges of harmony, mutual respect and common development among people of different countries.

The Chinese Buddhist community is willing to join hands with Buddhists and peace-loving people around the world to jointly promote the harmonious coexistence of diverse cultures and different civilizations, as well as mutual learning and exchange, he said.

According to Chinese Buddhist tradition, the birth anniversary of the Buddha is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.