The festival, co-organised by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee and the Hanoi Buddhist branch, aimed to honour the contributions of predecessors like King Ly Thai To and Buddhist priests who founded Thang Long capital, helping create a Vietnamese culture.

The festival opened with a singing and dancing programme named “Dong Mau Lac Hong” (Descendants of Dragons and Fairies) in combination with magnanimous sounds of drums.

A ceremony to praise for a peaceful world and prosperity took place in the fanciful light of over 7,000 candles.

The festival concluded with special art performances to praise Buddha and the 1,000 year-old culture of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Also the same night, the Hanoi Buddhist branch and the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs jointly held a ceremony to launch lanterns and staged a live television programme linking Hanoi , Vientiane and Paris at the Tran Quoc Pagoda near the West Lake.