Buddhist Tourism Forum

Cambodia is hosting a regional Buddhist tourism forum which starts today until April 29. This forum is aimed at raising the interconnection between Buddhism and tourism in the region.

A total of 20,000 participants including 3000 Buddhist monks are expected to attend this forum. Out of the 3000 monks expected 181 will come from the 13 participating countries in the region.

The event is called "The Trail of Civilization and Art Performance" and is held at Bayon temple, one of the many temples built in Angkor Wat area in northern province of Siem Reap.

The three-day event will show religious processions and artistic performances about Biography of Buddha, the Supreme Teacher, while he was born, achieving Enlightenment and attaining Nirvana, by Cambodian and foreign artistic performance groups.

It is also to mark the eminent event to fulfill great merit during the Visakh Bochea Day.

A 27-member Chinese delegation headed by Wang Jian, general- secretary of the Buddihist Association of China will participate in the event. Meanwhile, Buddhist performance group from Hangzhou Lingyin Monastery of Zhejiang province will give their Buddhist performance.

This is the 4th time the forum is being held, but the first time held in Cambodia--is held annually with a rotative format among the six signatory countries of Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The six countries agreed in the Borobudur Plan of Actions (BPA) which was held in Borobudur, Indonesia in 2006.

The BPA has a five-year timeframe covering the period from 2007 to 2011.