On 14 May 2025, thousands arrived at Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi after sacred relics of the Buddha, a national treasure of India, were installed there. The line stretched from the Cultural Friendship Palace to the exhibition area. Officials and volunteers directed visitors through designated lanes, and people entered the main hall in order to bow and pray.
It was the first time the relics had been brought to Vietnam, as part of the United Nations Vesak 2025 celebrations. Public veneration ran from 14 to 16 May. The queue was therefore more than a large religious gathering: it allocated brief, individual access to a sacred object present for only three days. Temporary international custody produced a carefully managed sequence of devotion.