Published:  00:00 Sunday - May 17, 2009

More than 1,000 Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers attended a ceremony at Phat Tich pagoda in Bac Ninh province, about 60km from Hanoi, to welcome the arrival of the world’s largest Jade Statue of Buddha.

The event was also attended by representatives of the Government Office, ministries, embassies and General Consulates in Hanoi.

Buddhist followers had the chance to see the statue and prayed for peace, happiness and prosperity for all.

The statue, which is 4.8m tall and weighs 5,000kg, was carved from an 18-tonne jade boulder discovered in Canada in 2000. It was completed after eight years by more than 30 sculptors and Buddhist researchers from Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar and India.

The piece was transported to Vietnam on March 8 and displayed at four pagodas in Da Nang, Dong Thap and Bac Ninh. Phat Tich pagoda in Bac Ninh is the statue’s last stopover before it is moved back to Australia.