On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Sri Lanka and China, the Sri Lanka-China Buddhist Friendship Association in collaboration with the Buddhist Association of China conducted a Pirith Ceremony at the Abhayagiriya Temple in Anuradhapura and Sri Lanka Vidyalaya Maradana on 26th February 2022.

Ven. Fa’Xian thero spent two years at Abhayagiri Temple early in the fifth century AD collecting and translating Sinhalese language Buddhist texts.

The Buddhist Association of China-made arrangements for Venerable theros from the Lingguang Temple in Beijing and Putuao Temple in Guangdong to join online the ceremony. The pirith ceremony by the Chinese Buddhist monks was led by Most Ven. Chang Zhang thero and Most Ven. Ming Sheng thero.

Despite the COVID-19 related restrictions in China, the Ambassador, Dr. Palitha Kohona, and some officials from the Embassy also attended the event online from the Lingguang Temple, a historic temple, where the Buddha’s Tooth Relic is kept in China.

After the formal ceremony, the Ambassador and the Embassy Officials were given the opportunity to worship the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha.

The Lingguang temple was originally built in Tang Dynasty (618–907). The temple has been designated as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by the State Council of China in 1983.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Beijing
27 February 2022