A high level Chinese Buddhist delegation to visit Sri Lanka

(July 31, Beijing, Sri Lanka Guardian) 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, would lead a 102 member Buddhist delegation to Sri Lanka from 2nd to 9th August 2009. The visit is organized with a view to enhancing the bilateral Buddhist Cultural relations of over thousand 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 Perehara’. The first visit was in the year 2007 which was initiated by President 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 Monks held in high esteem in China and officials from China Buddhist Association, the umbrella organization for Buddhist activities in the country. The delegation would witness the spectacular “Randoli Pageant” on the 5th of August and will also tour the historic city of Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya rock fortress, Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, a Dutch Fort and a Catholic Church in Negambo.

The delegation would also pay courtesy calls on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Theros 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo and the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

-Sri Lanka Guardian