The annual Four-Faced Buddha Holy Birthday Celebration was held at the Four-Faced Buddha Shrine in Taipa yesterday, attracting scores of locals and visitors, including worshippers from several Southeast Asian countries, for traditional religious Thai ceremonies and prayers for peace and prosperity.
Organised by the Four-Faced Buddha Holy Birthday Celebration Organisation Committee, the event has been held in Macau for more than 20 years. This year’s celebration was co-organised by the Macau Four-Faced Buddha Worshippers Association (澳門四面佛信眾會), Association of Thais in Macau, and the Macao-Thailand Chamber of Commerce.
The main ceremony began at 3:35 p.m. yesterday, followed by traditional Thai Buddhist rituals, led by monks and accompanied by a Thai music and dance troupe invited for the occasion,
The guests attending the event included former chief executive and current National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chairman Edmund Ho Hau Wah, as well as Consul-General of Thailand in Hong Kong Ranoppun Kapittai.
Worshippers gathered throughout the day to pay their respects and offer prayers for world peace, social harmony and prosperity in Macau and Thailand.
According to a statement by the organisers yesterday, the celebration attracted large crowds, with worshippers continuing to arrive into the night.
The statement said that the annual event provides an opportunity for worshippers to express their devotion while reflecting Macau’s religious diversity and cultural co-existence, adding that the celebration would continue to promote the city’s role as a platform for cultural exchange.
Buddhism, Daoism, Catholicism and Protestantism are Macau’s main religions.
Worshippers gather to pray during the annual Four-Faced Buddha Holy Birthday Celebration at the Four-Faced Buddha Shrine in Taipa. – Photo: Khalel Vallo
