Published:  00:00 Friday - March 06, 2009

The world’s largest jade Buddha statue is being shipped to Vietnam for display in the next few days.

“The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace”, which is more than 3.5m tall, has been carved from a large boulder, the “Polar Pride”, discovered in Canada in 2000.

Vietnam is the first country to welcome the statue, which will then be displayed in many big cities in Australia before being sent to other countries, including the US, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand and Taiwan.

In Vietnam, the jade statue will be first placed at Bodhisattva Pagoda in the central city of Da Nang from March 13-15 to mark the annual Bodhisattva festival, which falls on the 19^th day of the second lunar month. Later, it will be showcased at Dai Tung Lam Pagoda in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau from March 21-26, Pho Quang Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City from March 29-April 5, Hoang Phap Pagoda in HCM City from April 9-24), and Van An Pagoda in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap from May 1-10).