People-to-people diplomacy through Buddhism: Where Vietnam-Sri lanka affection meets (Part 4)
WVR - Three years serving in Sri Lanka left former Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc not only with professional memories, but also with a deep appreciation of the affection Sri Lankan people hold for Vietnam and of Buddhism's role as an enduring thread binding the two nations together.
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Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations are entering a new phase of development with the upgrade to a Comprehensive Partnership. In your view, what is the greatest value that people-to-people diplomacy can contribute to this new chapter in bilateral relations?
Someone once asked me: “After three years serving in Sri Lanka, what has stayed with you most deeply?” I did not answer with figures about visits or cooperation documents signed.
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| Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc with the delegation of Venerable Thich Minh Thanh at the 2024 National Vesak ceremony. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee) |
What I remember most is the image of Sri Lankan friends speaking of Vietnam with respect and affection, the moments standing before the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Colombo and feeling the special affection Sri Lankan people hold for him, the meetings with monks and nuns, scholars, business people and ordinary citizens who always regard Vietnam as a loyal friend.
These experiences have helped me understand that relations between two nations may begin with the vision of their leaders, but can only endure when nurtured by the affection of their people.
In 2025, Vietnam and Sri Lanka marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations - a journey built on trust, sincerity and constant mutual support.
In May 2026, during the State visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary, President To Lam, the two countries decided to upgrade their relationship from traditional friendship to a Comprehensive Partnership.
This is not only a milestone of historic significance but also opens a new phase of development with a broader vision, greater depth and higher expectations.
The greatest significance of this upgrade lies not only in expanding the framework of cooperation between the two states, but also in setting a new mission for people-to-people diplomacy.
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| General Secretary and President To Lam paid a State visit to Sri Lanka in May 2026. (Source: Office of the President of Sri Lanka) |
Where people-to-people diplomacy previously served mainly to nurture friendship, today it must become a force that builds cooperation, bringing the strategic directions set by the two countries' leaders closer to the people, businesses, scholars, social organisations and the younger generation.
I firmly believe that people-to-people diplomacy is precisely where the decisions of the two countries' leaders meet the affection of their people.
What are the most vivid symbols of this more than half-century-long friendship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, Ambassador?
If I were to choose the most representative images of Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations today, I would choose four symbols.
The first symbol is the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Colombo. This is not only a cultural work but also a living symbol of the affection Sri Lankan people hold for Vietnam's beloved leader. Few places in the world hold the image of President Ho Chi Minh in such esteem and affection as Sri Lanka does.
Alongside their admiration for him is a deep respect for the achievements of Vietnam's struggle for national independence, and especially for Vietnam's development today. This is an invaluable soft-power resource that we must continue to preserve and spread.
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| Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc poses with local residents to mark the 132nd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth in Colombo. (Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Sri Lanka) |
The second symbol is the sacred Bodhi tree at Bai Dinh Pagoda. Grown from a sacred cutting taken from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, the sacred symbol of Sri Lankan Buddhism, it has today grown into a cultural and spiritual space carrying special meaning for relations between the two countries.
The fact that the President of Sri Lanka personally cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Sacred Bodhi Tree Grounds at Bai Dinh Pagoda in May 2025 not only affirmed the value of that gift of friendship but also elevated this symbol into vivid proof of the bond between the two peoples through shared cultural and Buddhist values.
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| The President of Sri Lanka at the inauguration of the Sacred Bodhi Tree Precinct at Bai Dinh Pagoda in May 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee) |
The third symbol is the direct flight route between Ho Chi Minh City and Colombo, opened for the first time in more than half a century of diplomatic relations, beginning on 16 and 18 August.
This direct route not only shortens the geographic distance but also opens new opportunities for economic, trade, investment, tourism, educational and people-to-people cooperation.
I hope that on those flights, more business people will find partners, more scholars will find colleagues, more students will find opportunities to study, and more friends will find one another.
The fourth symbol is the two Friendship Associations including the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association and the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Friendship Association. If the leaders of the two countries are the ones who paved the way for the Comprehensive Partnership, then the two Friendship Associations are the ones who tend this garden of friendship, patiently and continuously, through practical, close and lasting activities.
Both associations must continue to serve as trusted bridges between the two peoples, creating new opportunities for cooperation. These, then, are the four symbols of trust, value, connection and responsibility.
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| Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association. (Source: Embassy of Sri Lanka in Vietnam) |
During your tenure, which Buddhist exchange activities between Vietnam and Sri Lanka did you witness or take part in directly that you consider especially meaningful for relations between the two peoples?
To establish a framework for cooperation in an area where the two countries share such strong common ground in Buddhism, I worked throughout my tenure to build connections and facilitate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Buddhist cooperation between the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the All-Island Buddhist Council of Sri Lanka, under Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.
I also maintained good and regular relations with my counterparts, including the Minister and Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana Affairs, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and others who took a strong interest in and supported the advancement of bilateral Buddhist relations. At the same time, I maintained regular exchanges with senior clergy of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. The signing ceremony, held in Hanoi on 15 April 2024, marked a new milestone in Buddhist cooperation between the two countries.
Alongside this, I worked closely with relevant agencies on the Sri Lankan side including the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Chief Incumbent's Office of Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, and others as well as with the Liaison Committee of the Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka, to organise the introduction of Vietnam's Vesak (Buddha's Birthday) culture as part of Sri Lanka's National Vesak Week 2023.
The event drew significant interest from local residents and visitors in Sri Lanka, who engaged with Vietnamese culture, particularly the Buddha-bathing ritual and also served to unite the local Vietnamese community, regardless of religion or region of origin, in jointly promoting their national culture.
At the request of the Central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, in addition to organising Buddhist exchange delegations, I built connections and advocated for the Nagananda International Institute for Buddhist Studies to grant 10 scholarships (covering tuition and full room and board for the entire course) to Buddhist nuns enrolled in the Institute's Bachelor's programme in Buddhist Studies and Pali, beginning in the 2024 academic year.
One especially significant Buddhist exchange activity for bilateral relations was the transplanting of a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree from the sacred land of Anuradhapura to be planted at Bai Dinh Pagoda.
Sri Lanka is known as a country of Theravada Buddhism, home to many sacred sites recognised by UNESCO, among them the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree (over 2,300 years old) growing in Anuradhapura. For monks and Buddhist devotees, to see the Bodhi tree is to see the Buddha himself.
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| Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc at an event marking the handover of a Bodhi tree sapling grown from a seed of the Sacred Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, a symbol of Vietnam-Sri Lanka friendship and the Buddhist ties between the two countries. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee) |
Sri Lanka has also, at times, gifted young Bodhi saplings to countries with which it shares close Buddhist ties. In 2018, the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament presented the Central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha with a young Bodhi sapling, which was planted at Tam Chuc Pagoda on the occasion of Vietnam hosting the United Nations Vesak Day for the third time, in 2019.
In 2022, through discussions, the Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise expressed a wish to bring a young Bodhi sapling, grown from a seed of the original mother tree in Anuradhapura to be planted at Bai Dinh Pagoda. This legitimate wish was supported by the Vietnamese Embassy in Colombo as well as by Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka's Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, since it would stand as a symbol of the bond between the two countries - a gift from Sri Lanka to Vietnam.
Despite certain obstacles, sustained and patient efforts at direct engagement and connection eventually bore fruit. In late March 2023, Venerable Thich Minh Quang, Deputy Abbot of Bai Dinh Pagoda, led a delegation to Anuradhapura to receive the Bodhi sapling, grown from a seed of the mother tree, a gift from the Government of Sri Lanka to Vietnam for planting at Bai Dinh Pagoda.
During the visit, in addition to making a voluntary contribution to the Bodhi Tree Development Fund, the delegation visited a children's hospital in Colombo, donating medicine and medical supplies worth 20,000 USD.
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| The Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka, mainly Buddhist monks and nuns and Buddhist students, introduces Vietnamese Buddhist culture and the Buddha bathing ritual at Sri Lanka’s National Vesak Festival in 2023. The Vietnamese pavilion welcomed the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee) |
To mark the first anniversary of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree's planting at Bai Dinh Pagoda, the Central Cultural Fund under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs proposed and all parties agreed to send a team of experts to survey and design a surrounding wall built in traditional Sri Lankan architectural style, further strengthening cultural exchange and connection between the two peoples. The cost of building the wall was covered by the Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise.
During the State visit to Vietnam from 4 to 6 May 2025, at the invitation of President Luong Cuong and on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations (1970-2025), Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka visited Bai Dinh Pagoda, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the site, and offered incense at the grounds of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree.
The Joint Statement between Vietnam and Sri Lanka on President Anura Kumara Disanayaka's State visit to Vietnam notes: the two sides' leaders underscored the cultural and historical ties between the two countries, and welcomed their joint effort in building the wall surrounding the Bodhi tree gifted by Sri Lanka in 2023 at the Bai Dinh spiritual complex - a structure combining original Sri Lankan architectural sculpture with a uniquely Vietnamese-styled fence, standing as proof of strong cultural and spiritual cooperation between the two nations.
During the period when Sri Lanka faced an economic crisis, I reported the situation and made recommendations to the State, and received effective cooperation from the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association and the Central Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, who launched various fundraising drives to help the people of Sri Lanka.
According to figures tracked by the Embassy which was authorised to organise or take part in donations in various forms (cash, medicine and medical supplies, rice and other essentials), the total value reached nearly 200,000 USD, drawn from socialised (privately mobilised) sources, including a 20,000 USD contribution from the Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise.
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| Former Ambassador Ho Thi Thanh Truc visits and presents gifts to Truc Lam Meditation Centre in Sri Lanka. (Source: Truc Lam Sri Lanka) |
I also followed closely the construction of the Truc Lam Zen Monastery led by Venerable Phap Quang in the small village of Ambakote in the ancient capital of Kandy - the first Vietnamese pagoda in Sri Lanka, a place that serves not only as a centre of practice for monks and nuns but also as a spiritual anchor for the local Vietnamese community and Buddhist devotees, while also preserving and spreading Vietnamese cultural values to the world.
I actively facilitated connections, and the Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise sponsored 70,000 USD toward building a proper dining hall within the monastery grounds.
Buddhist philosophy contains many ideas about compassion, peace and moral virtue. In your view, what might this spirit of Buddhism suggest for people-to-people diplomacy between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, particularly in bringing cultural and Buddhist values closer to the younger generation?
Vietnam and Sri Lanka are both nations with a long Buddhist tradition. What is most precious about what Buddhism offers is not merely pagodas or physical heritage, but a living system of values: compassion, so that we know how to love; a spirit of peace, so that we know how to respect difference; wisdom, so that we know dialogue rather than confrontation and moral virtue, so that we live responsibly toward our community. These are precisely the values the world needs most today.
If state diplomacy builds trust between nations, then cultural and Buddhist values can nurture empathy between people. This is the deepest foundation of people-to-people diplomacy, connection through shared values. For Vietnam and Sri Lanka, Buddhism is one of the most shared values of all.
For this reason, people-to-people diplomacy activities, especially those aimed at youth and the younger generation can draw inspiration from the image of the Bodhi tree: a seed of compassion planted in the younger generation will grow into mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Some possible initiatives include:
A Vietnam-Sri Lanka Youth Forum on Culture and Buddhism, where young people not only learn about Buddhist teachings but also exchange views on peace, sustainable development, environmental protection and social responsibility, seen through the lens of Buddhist philosophy.
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| Venerable Thich Thanh Cuong and former Ambassador Ho Thi Thanh Truc take part in Buddhist connectivity activities, contributing to greater exchanges and the development of spiritual tourism between Vietnam and Sri Lanka. (Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee) |
A “Following the Bodhi Tree” journey, connecting Anuradhapura with Bai Dinh Pagoda and other Buddhist sites in Vietnam, so young people understand that a gifted tree cutting is not merely a symbol but a continuation of the friendship between the two peoples.
An exchange programme between students, young scholars and young monks and nuns from both countries, jointly researching Buddhist heritage and applying the values of compassion, harmony and responsibility to modern life.
Finally, I want to share this: a diplomat's term of service may come to an end, but the friendship between two peoples never does. It is carried forward by countless people, in countless different roles.
My three years serving in Sri Lanka left me not only with professional memories but with a deep affection for this country and its people.
Perhaps that is why I consider Sri Lanka my second home, and why I hope to continue contributing to the friendship between our two peoples in whatever capacity I may hold.
Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations have now entered a new chapter under the framework of a Comprehensive Partnership. I believe the most beautiful chapter will be written through the simple deeds of ordinary people.
If each of us plants one more seed of friendship, those seeds will grow into great trees of trust, so that the younger generations of Vietnam and Sri Lanka will continue to find there friendship, understanding, sharing, and a shared aspiration to cooperate and develop together.
Thank you very much, Ambassador!
| Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc, concurrently accredited to the Republic of Maldives, from 2021 to 2023. During her tenure, she actively promoted economic, trade and cultural cooperation, as well as people-to-people diplomacy, particularly Buddhist connections between Vietnam and Sri Lanka. She also engaged with senior leaders, legislative bodies and the Vietnamese community living and working in the country. |
