Buddhism in Vietnam holds a profound place in the nation’s cultural and spiritual landscape. With a rich history spanning over two millennia, Buddhism has deeply influenced Vietnamese society, shaping its values, traditions, and architecture.
It arrived in Vietnam around the 2nd century BCE, through trade routes connecting India and Southeast Asia. Over time, it blended with existing spiritual beliefs and indigenous practices to form unique Vietnamese Buddhist traditions.
Buddhism first arrived in Vietnam around the 2nd century BCE, brought by traders and missionaries from India. Over the centuries, Buddhism flourished, coexisting with indigenous beliefs and practices. Vietnamese Buddhism evolved through interactions with Chinese Buddhism, adopting Mahayana and later Zen traditions.
Vietnamese Buddhism encompasses various sects, including:
Buddhist festivals play a vital role in Vietnamese religious life.
Key Buddhist scriptures, including the Tripitaka (three baskets) and Mahayana sutras, form the foundation of Vietnamese Buddhist teachings. These sacred texts are revered by monks and lay practitioners alike, guiding their spiritual journey towards enlightenment and compassion.
Vietnam boasts a wealth of magnificent Buddhist temples and monasteries. Among the most renowned are the Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam), Perfume Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi, as well as the Linh Son Pagoda and Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue. These architectural marvels serve as centres of worship, meditation, and cultural heritage.
In contemporary Vietnam, Buddhism continues to thrive despite periods of suppression under communist rule. The government recognises Buddhism as one of the country’s major religions, allowing for the restoration and preservation of temples and the practice of Buddhist rituals. Vietnamese Buddhists actively engage in charitable activities, social welfare programs, and environmental conservation efforts, embodying the teachings of compassion and mindfulness in their daily lives. The present population of Buddhists in Vietnam is estimated to be around 12-16 million, constituting a significant portion of the country’s population.
The following two organisations are recognised by the Vietnam Government Committee for Religious Affairs.
The National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism in the modern era, with the Buddhist policy of accompanying the nation, the Buddhist organizations of Vietnam have previously attempted to unify Buddhism five times. Each time of unifying Buddhism, whether within a region or nationally, has the same goal of building a strong national Buddhism. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, founded in 1981 and fully developed today, is the inevitable result of that historic process. Currently, the National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has about 57.000 monastic members living in 18.544 official Buddhist Temples and nearly 5.000 waiting for government approval as official temples in 63 provinces.
The Unified Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam was founded in 1964 to unify 11 of the 14 different sects of Vietnamese Buddhism which were present in South Vietnam at the time. The Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam was an independent Buddhist organization that operates outside of government-sanctioned Buddhist institutions. It has played a significant role in advocating for human rights and religious freedom during various periods of Vietnamese history.The Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam is not formally recognized by the Government of Vietnam. Although currently, there are still some pagodas and sangha members belonging to this church system. On international level the UBSV still has active members around the world.
General information:
Academy Name:
- Vietnamese name: Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, abbreviated as HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City. HCM.
- English name: Vietnam Buddhist University, HCM City, abbreviated as VBU.
Previous name
- Vietnam Higher School of Buddhist Studies (1983-1997).
School Address:
- Campus 1: 750 Nguyen Kiem, Ward 4. Phu Nhuan District, HCMC
- Telephone: - Phone: (+84) 028.38478779 (Administration); (+84) 028. 36206085 (Training); (+84) 028. 3845 2707 (Graduate Room)
- Website: http://vbu.edu.vn / Email: vp@vbu.edu.vn
Establishment and development:
The Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City is the first Buddhist university to train Buddhist bachelors, masters and doctorates in Buddhist studies for monks, nuns, students, students and doctoral students. The development process of HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCM can be summarized through the following stages:
Phase 1 (1983-1997): Inheriting Van Hanh University (1964-1975), a multidisciplinary multidisciplinary training university and many social sectors, HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City. HCMC was born as Vietnam Higher School of Buddhist Studies, by the HCMC People's Committee. HCMC granted operation license No. 160/QD-UB on 17/10/1983. HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCMC provides specialized training in Buddhist Studies for monks and nuns, enrolling every 4 years with a limited number of monks and nuns. The main cooperation of HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCMC in this period is linking professors and lecturers with Ho Chi Minh City General University. HCMC, University of Education on a number of subjects of interest to all parties. Many former monks and nuns of courses I, II and III of HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City is currently on the Board of Trustees of the Vietnam Buddhist Church, central departments and administrative boards of the UBCV nationwide.
Phase 2 (1997-2005): Since 1997, Vietnam Higher School of Buddhist Studies in Ho Chi Minh City HCMC officially changed its name to "Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Ho Chi Minh City. HCM." During this period, HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCM trained 2 Bachelor courses in Buddhist Studies. International and domestic diplomatic relations of HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCMC is becoming more and more diverse, meeting the needs of research and training at the scale of a Buddhist university.
Phase 3 (2005-2009): From the academic year 2006 of course VI onwards, HVPGVN in Ho Chi Minh City HCMC changed the annual curriculum into course-credit/unit according to the advanced and universal education system in the world.
The Vietnam Buddhist Studies Institute in Hanoi is the first institute in the Buddhist education and training system of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. It is the largest Buddhist talent-training centre in the country. In the future, it will provide MA and PhD degree courses.
Over the past 25 years, at Quan Su Pagoda, the Institute has organized four training courses and over 600 students have graduated. In 2006, it opened the 5th training course (2006-2010) at its new establishment in Phu Linh Commune, Soc Son District in Hanoi. The training course enrolled over 300 students from 34 cities and provinces nationwide.