High level Chinese Buddhist delegation to visit Sri Lanka

The Most Venerable Shi Yie Chang, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China who is also the Chief Abbot of the Lingguang Temple in Beijing, will lead a 102-member Buddhist delegation to Sri Lanka from August 2 to 9, 2009.

The visit is organized to enhance the bilateral Buddhist cultural relations of over 1,000 years between China and Sri Lanka.

This would be the second visit to Sri Lanka by the Lingguang Temple which coincides with the 'Kandy Esala Perahera'. The first visit was in 2007 which was initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his State Visit to China. President Rajapaksa was accompanied by a high level Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka in 2007 where they gifted a stone replica of Samadhi Statue in Anuradhapura, to the Lingguang Temple. The visiting delegation includes the most senior Theras held in high esteem in China and officials from China Buddhist Association, the umbrella organization for Buddhist activities in the country. The delegation will witness the Randoli Pageant on August 5 and will also tour Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya rock fortress, Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, a Dutch Fort and a Catholic Church in Negombo.

The delegation will also pay courtesy calls on President Rajapaksa, the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and other Buddhist leaders of Sri Lanka. The visit is coordinated by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing together with the Foreign Ministry in Colombo and the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.