The 28th SEA Games

The 28th SEA Games will be held from 5 -16 June 2015, with Singapore Sports Hub as the main venue for the Games.

Organised by the Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC), the Games is held in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th anniversary and will host more than 7,000 athletes and officials from 36 sports. Adopting the theme of Celebrate the Extraordinary, the Games will celebrate triumph of human spirit - be it in sports or daily lives; in success or in the grit to try again and again; in winning or in merely being at the start line.

The 28th SEA Games will show the people of the Southeast Asia that success ultimately comes to ordinary people with extraordinary dreams. It’s not about having a champion, but inspiring the champion that is inside each of us.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies: June 5 and 16

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The Shangri-La Shootout

Singapore police shoot dead man near Shangri-La summit

A bullet hole could be seen in the windscreen of the car involved in the incident as it was towed away 

Singapore police say they have killed a man and detained two others near a hotel hosting a top-level international security conference.

Defence ministers and leaders from the Asia-Pacific region were at the summit, known as The Shangri-La Dialogue.

Police say they opened fire after a car rammed through police barricades.

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It was under special circumstances

AFTERMATH: (Below) The damaged Subaru Impreza being towed away

Police officers did a praiseworthy job in handling the incident near Shangri-La Hotel, said security experts and former policemen.

At about 4.30am yesterday, the police opened fire at a car when its driver ignored warnings and crashed through a police vehicular checkpoint set up along Ardmore Park.

The driver of the car, a 34-year-old Singaporean man, died. Two other Singaporean men, aged 26 and 31, who were with him were arrested.

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Passengers in shooting case near Shangri-La Hotel charged with heroin trafficking

A damaged red car with a bullet hole on its windscreen is being towed away in Singapore near the Shangri-La hotel on May 31, 2015. Two passengers in the car that crashed through police barriers near the Shangri-la Hotel in the wee hours of Sunday were charged in court with heroin trafficking on Monday. -- PHOTO: AFP

Two passengers in the car that crashed through police barriers near the Shangri-La Hotel in the wee hours of Sunday were charged in court with heroin trafficking on Monday.

Mohamed Ismail, 31, and Muhammad Syahid Mohamed Yasin, 26, were both charged with possessing three packets of approximately 9g of heroin for the purpose of trafficking.

The men will be remanded for a week to facilitate investigations into possible further offences. 

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DECEASED WIFE: IS THE POLICE JUSTIFIED TO SHOOT DEAD MY HUSBAND BECAUSE HE RUN AWAY?

The alleged wife of the man shot dead in the Shangri-La dash through incident has spoken up. In a Facebook post to the Singapore Police Force FB page, the woman who goes by the moniker Fifi Divinez (Nassida Nasir) questioned if the police is justified to shoot dead her husband with a M-16 rifle just because he tried to escape. According to her, her husband tried to escape the road block because he was driving without a valid license.

This was what she posted on SPF's Facebook page:

"Good Job To SPF yes ..and now tell me i am his Wife.My Name is Nassida Nasir .So tell me is it justify of the law to shot dead right on my husband head just because he tried to run away? Well people the real reason is bcoz he drove away and hit the barricades due to he did not have a driving license ! So is this how he will be punished ? And if it is a high security and professionals ones , they should know whether they hit a real terrorist. And here i am , with my 2months new born baby living without a father ! Who was scared and running away without a driving license and punished in terrible way ! So tell me if it was your husband can u live everyday without thinking of the incident !"

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POLICE OFFICER WHO SHOT DEAD THE MANABUSED HIS POWER
LET'S HOLD A DONATION DRIVE FOR WIFE OF MAN SHOT DEAD BY POLICE?
POLICE WAS CORRECT TO USE DEADLY FORCE IN SHOOTINGINCIDENT

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Wife of man shot by police says they were planning new life together

Ms Nassida Nasir (above) said Mohamed Taufik Zahar stormed off after they argued just after midnight on Sunday, taking a car she had rented. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

AT 4.20AM on Sunday, Ms Nassida Nasir woke up in panic.

Her husband, Mohamed Taufik Zahar, was not at home as they had argued - and something felt wrong.

Frantic, the 32-year-old starting calling and texting him.

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What went wrong or right in the Shangri-La roadblock shooting?

In light of the incident where a man who was trying to flee a roadblock was shot dead there has been much speculation as to the police protocol and concerns on the justification for the police to use deadly force under such circumstances.

While this is a rightful concern and one that should be discussed, it is necessary to appreciate the context in this case to understand the situation fully. When all is said and done, the truth here is that this was an extremely rare and very unfortunate confluence of factors but something that could not have been avoided.

First of all, the police protocols that are in place – be it for roadblocks or otherwise – are there to ensure safety and security as a foremost priority. The police are certainly not looking to kill people. In fact, it is in the best interests of officers to ensure nobody dies on their watch because it is an extremely traumatic aftermath for an officer who has discharged his weapon, let alone killed someone using deadly force.

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Resourceful CNA journalist ‘selfie reports’ shooting incident near Shangri-la hotel

Channel NewsAsia (CNA) has scored possibly a world’s first with its reporting of the shooting incident along Orange Grove Road.

With the public and the media hungry for more details about the incident, CNA’s Pichayada Promchertchoo resourcefully stepped forward to do so.

Using the mundane road closure image as her backdrop, the international digital reporter spiced up the coverage with possibly the world’s first selfie-reporting:

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S’poreans react to fatal shooting near Shangri-La Hotel

A man was shot dead and two others were detained in an incident at 4.36 am on Sunday near the Shangri-La hotel, where the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue is being held. This after the driver suddenly accelerated the vehicle crashing through police barricades towards Anderson Road after being asked to open the car boot for checks.

Substances believed to be drugs were later found on one of the persons detained.

Here are three thoughts Singaporeans have:

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Wife of man shot dead at Shangri-La claims hubby was only driving without licence

Wife of man shot dead at Police checkpoint blames SPF -- claiming that hubby was only driving without licence 

The wife of the man who was shot dead by police for ramming through a security checkpoint near Shangri-La hotel on May 31 is blaming the cops' actions.

Nassida Nasir ranted in a post to the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) Facebook, claiming that her husband was only trying to run because he had no license.

She wrote: "Good Job To SPF yes ..and now tell me i am his Wife.My Name is Nassida Nasir .So tell me is it justify of the law to shot dead right on my husband head just because he tried to run away?

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Shooting near Shangri-La Hotel: Police did the right thing 

The case of police officers shooting at the car that rammed against road blocks at a secured venue showed the decisiveness of the men in charge (“Police shoot man dead near Shangri-La Hotel”; June 1).

The Singapore Police Force should not make any apologies. This is not a case of a roadblock to sniff out drink-driving, where if a similar action were to occur, there would at best have been a car chase. This was a high-security meeting of top defence chiefs at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Instead of consenting to the security check, the driver breached the checkpoint, ignored repeated warnings and did not stop.

The only conclusion at the time and place must have been a probable terrorist attack; stopping the car and disabling the passengers would have been a must. And if it were such, aiming at the tyres would have been a mistake.

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Shangri-La Shooting: And the use of lethal force by police

In a rare incident, the police have shot dead the driver of a car near Shangri-La Hotel, and arrested two others.

The Straits Times reports in "Shangri-La shooting: Terrorism ruled out" (1 June 2015):

• THE failed breach of a security checkpoint barely 250m from the venue of the Shangri-La Dialogue yesterday morning, when one man was shot dead and two arrested, may have eventually been found to be drug-related.
• But "police did the right thing, ever vigilant to the fact that this could have been a terrorist plot", said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

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Shangri-La Shootout

– ASS: Is The Police Justified To Shoot Dead My Husband Because He Run Away?
– Lukeyishandsome: Don’t shoot complain, shoot also complain
– Top of the Word: Kudos to Singapore Police for Quick Action
– I on Singapore: Shangri-La Shooting: And the use of lethal force by police
– Sg Beacon: The Keyboard Warriors Who Commented On The Shangri-La Shooting
– New Nation: S’poreans react to fatal shooting near Shangri-La Hotel

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100 years of the Singapore Sling

Raffles Singapore celebrates 100 years of the Singapore Sling

Singapore Sling 100 years and still going strong

A century is a long time by any standards, which makes the Singapore Sling’s enduring popularity — first concocted at the Long Bar in Raffles Singapore in 1915 — that much more impressive.

Widely regarded as the national drink of the country, it was the brainchild of bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling also contains pineapple juice as the main ingredient, along with grenadine, lime juice and Dom Benedictine. Giving it the pretty pink hue are cherry brandy and Cointreau, which Ngiam deliberately chose.

The reason was less apparent. Following the turn of the century in colonial Singapore, Raffles Singapore was the gathering place for the community and Long Bar was the watering hole. Unfortunately for the ladies, etiquette dictated they could not consume alcohol in public, and for the sake of public modesty, fruit juices and teas were their preferred beverage. This didn’t stop the drink from gaining international acclaim, and a century later it is enjoyed across the globe, from New York to London, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai. So it’s no surprise that Raffles Singapore is celebrating the Singapore Sling Centennial Anniversary with a series of promotions and educational initiatives starting in June.

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Raffles Singapore Celebrates 100 Years of the Singapore Sling

Raffles Singapore is paying tribute to one of the world's most iconic cocktails as the Singapore Sling marks its Centennial Anniversary this year. The Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink of the country, was first created in 1915 at the Long Bar in Raffles Singapore by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. It later went on to gain international fame and a century later, is still enjoyed around the globe.

"The Singapore Sling is a world renowned cocktail and its enormous success has become synonymous with Raffles Singapore," said Simon Hirst, General Manager, Raffles Singapore. "In recognition of its 100th birthday, we want to highlight its sweet success with special events to encourage everyone to discover, rediscover and enjoy the Singapore Sling."

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, a myriad of activities has been planned throughout 2015. From commemorative merchandise to desserts inspired by the Singapore Sling, there are many opportunities to participate in the celebrations. Sign up for the Singapore Sling Masterclass, where bartenders from the Long Bar will divulge the secret to making the perfect cocktail or spend the night at the Raffles Singapore with the Singapore Sling 100th Anniversary Suite Package.

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Raffles Hotel celebrates 100 years of Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling, a cocktail that was created at the Raffles Hotel in 1915, celebrates its centennial anniversary this year

The Singapore Sling, a cocktail that was created at the Raffles Hotel in 1915, celebrates its centennial anniversary this year.

The gin-based cocktail was created by the hotel's then-bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese. The sweet yet potent tipple with a rosy hue, was initially created for women so that they too could enjoy an alcoholic beverage at the bar back when it was not socially acceptable.

These days, the internationally recognised cocktail can be had at bars around the world and is savoured by both men and women.

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Raffles Hotel since 1887

Situated in the heart of the business and civic district, Raffles Singapore is a veritable oasis in the city. The hotel was built by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers and it opened its doors in 1887. The Raffles Hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. Today, it is one of the few remaining great 19th century hotels in the world, and the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

A century after its opening, the hotel was declared a National Monument by the Singapore Government. Its colonial architecture stand out from the contemporary style of its surrounding neighbours in the business and civic district. Through the decades, liveried Sikh doormen have welcomed some of the most famous personalities, from writers to celebrities, politicians and members of royalty. Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling and Michael Jackson are among those who have succumbed to the charms of the Raffles.

Today, nothing much has changed with esteemed guests such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, George Bush, Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Louboutin still choosing to put up at the hotel. No visit to Singapore is complete without a stay at this iconic all-suite luxury Singapore hotel. Each suite features period furnishings, lofty 14-foot ceilings and modern conveniences expected of a 21st-century hotel. Raffles butlers, legendary for their charming and graceful service are available to fulfil requests both ordinary and extraordinary. 14 restaurants and bars offer a unique menu prepared using only the freshest of ingredients. Among the most well-loved include the fine dining establishment Raffles Grill; Long Bar, where the famous Singapore Sling was created; and Writers Bar, a tribute to the novelists and travel writers, who have become part of the hotel’s legend.

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5 steps to a perfect night's sleep

When it comes to sleep, timing is everything. Once you learn to synchronize your body’s biological clock, your body will know when to sleep and when to be alert. Here are five ways to set the clock and start sleeping well.

1. Wake at the same time every day
A good night’s sleep actually starts in the morning. The second your eyes flutter open, light shoots down the optic nerve and into the brain’s biological clock. There it stimulates the production of a smorgasbord of hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, eating, sleeping, thinking, remembering—even how you feel from minute to minute.

2. Hit the sheets only when sleepy
No, not just tired. Sleepy, as in your eyes are droopy and you keep losing track of what people are saying to you.

3. Get up
Sleeping from 11:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m., tossing and turning until 4, then sleeping until 6 gives you eight hours in bed but only 4 1/2 hours of sleep. That’s a huge mismatch that can actually inhibit your sleep drive and cause insomnia all by itself. To prevent that from exacerbating your sleep issues, when you wake at 2:00 a.m., get up and go read a book in the living room. Being up increases your sleep drive—which just could make you sleepy enough to actually fall asleep when you return to bed.

4. Give yourself an hour
The one right before bed. You need it to wind down and transition from the woman-who-can-do-everything into the woman-who-can-sleep. Unfortunately, most women are not giving themselves one single second. According to the 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll, during the hour before bed, around 60 per cent of us do household chores, 37 percent take care of children, 36 percent do activities with other family members, 36 per cent are on the Internet, and 21 per cent do work related to their jobs.

5. Beware Sunday night insomnia
Staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday mornings is frequently the gift we give ourselves on weekends after a hard week at work. Yet that little gift—small as it is—is enough to screw up our biological clocks. Even if you get to bed early on Sunday night, you will not be ready to sleep, and you will not end up being the happy camper you were expecting come Monday morning.

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Happy Vesak Day (韦塞节) 2015

Seeking Peace

Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple

Vesak Day is the most significant day of the year in the Buddhist calendar and is celebrated by Buddhists the world over. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and is a day of immense joy, peace and reflection. In Singapore, Vesak Day usually falls in the month of May, on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

On this day, devout Buddhists and followers alike congregate at their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial, where the Buddhist flag will be hoisted, and hymns sung in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees often bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their spiritual teacher. These symbolic offerings remind followers that life too, is subject to decay and destruction when the offering burns out or wilts away.

Buddhists believe that performing good deeds on Vesak Day will multiply merit many times over. Buddhist youth sometimes organise mass blood donations at hospitals, while general rites and rituals practiced on Vesak Day include chanting of mantras; releasing of caged birds and animals; having vegetarian meals; and "bathing" a Buddha statue, a reference to the legend of the child Buddha being showered with the waters of nine dragons soon after birth. These acts of generosity observed by the Buddhist temples are also known as Dana.

Most statues of the Lord Buddha are illuminated on Vesak Day, and the celebrations conclude with a candlelight procession through the streets. The Buddhist community in Singapore is made up of various sectors, each of them offering variant ways of celebrating the occasion – The Mahayana or "Greater Way" constitutes mainly Chinese Singaporeans and form the majority of Buddhists here, while the Mahayana strain of Buddhism arrived on these shores in 1884 through individual missionaries from China's southern province.

The central pillar of Mahayana Buddhism is that Nirvana can be obtained not just through self-perseverance but also through the help of bodhisattvas or "enlightened ones". One such bodhisattva highly regarded in Singapore is Guanyin, the "Goddess of Mercy". Mahayana Buddhist temples in Singapore like the Phor Kark See Temple on Bright Hill Road, practise the "three-step, one-bow" ritual on Vesak Day, where devotees take steps on both knees, bowing at every third step as they pray for world peace, personal blessings and repentance. The exhausting two-hour procession actually begins 24 hours before, when many would reserve a place in the procession, sometimes with only a small tissue packet. 

Meanwhile another main variant of Buddhism is Theravada Buddhism, with a focus on seeking one's own path to salvation. Mainly practised by Singapore's Sri Lankan and Burmese communities, the Burmese Buddhist Temple at Geylang and the Sri Lankaramaya Temple at St Michael's Road practise a ritual of cooking a pot of rice in milk on Vesak Day, reminiscent of Buddha's last meal before his long fast toward enlightenment.

A great place to observe and mark this holy day in Singapore is at the majestic Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple which literally translates to the Twin Grove of the Lotus Mountain Buddhist Temple. Built between the years of 1902 to 1908, it is Singapore’s oldest Buddhist temple and the second largest in Asia. You can also soak in the spirit of the Vesak Day celebrations at The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, a four-storey spiritual centre in the heart of Chinatown. It is architecturally inspired by the harmonious combination of the Buddhist mandala and the art culture of Buddhism in the Tang dynasty.

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Vesak Day (卫塞节)

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Vesak Day in Singapore is a holy day celebrated by Buddhists. It represents the birth, the Nirvana (enlightenment) and the Parinirvana (death) of Gautama Buddha and is the most significant day of the Buddhist calendar. Vesak Day usually falls in May, on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

On Vesak Day, temples are decorated with flags and flowers. Devoted Buddhists and many observers of the faith congregate at their temple before dawn, saffron-clad monks chant the sutras, the Buddhist flag is raised and the people sing hymns to celebrate the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (his disciples).

Worshippers bring offerings of flowers, candles and incense to lay at the feet of the statues. These offerings demonstrate that the believers accept that life, like the offerings, is subject to decay and destruction.

Buddhists believe that performing good deeds on Vesak Day will multiply merit and it is often a day when Buddhist youth organise mass blood donations at hospitals and other Buddhists perform acts of generosity that can include releasing of caged birds and animals, taking goods to the poor and needy, and making gifts to charity. These acts of generosity are also known as Dana.

The celebration concludes with a candlelit procession through the streets. Mahayana Buddhist temples in Singapore, like the Phor Kark, practise the “three-step, one-bow” ritual on Vesak Day. Devotees take steps on both knees, bowing at every third step as they pray for world peace, personal blessings and repentance. The exhausting two-hour procession actually begins 24 hours before, when many reserve a place in the procession.

The main theme of Vesak Day is to practice love, peace and harmony as taught by the Buddha.

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Buddha Purnima

2577th Birth Anniversary of Gautama Buddha

Buddha Purnima during Vaishakha month is celebrated as birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama was a spiritual teacher on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

The time of Gautama Buddha’s birth and death is uncertain. However, most historians date his lifetime between 563-483 B.C. Most people consider Lumbini, Nepal as birth place of Buddha. Buddha died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important pilgrimage site related to the life of Gautama Buddha. The other three important pilgrimage sites are Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. It is believed that Gautama Buddha obtained Enlightenment at Bodhagaya and he first taught the Dharma at Sarnath.

It is believed that Gautama Buddha obtained Enlightenment and passed away on the same day. Buddha Purnima is also known as Buddha Jayanti, Vesak, Vaishaka and Buddha’s Birthday.

In North India Buddha is considered as the 9th incarnation and Lord Krishna as the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However Buddha is never considered as an Avatar of Vishnu in South Indian belief. In South India Balarama is considered as the 8th incarnation and Krishna as the 9th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Balarama is counted as an incarnation of Vishnu by the majority of Vaishnava movements. Even Buddhists don’t consider Buddha as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

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Buddha Purnima

Buddhist Holiday celebrated in several countries around the world

Buddha Purnima is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. It is the most important festival of the Buddhists, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Although Buddhists regard every full moon as sacred, the moon of the month of Vaisakh has special significance because on this day the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and attained Nirvana when he died.

Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism, was born in India 3,000 years ago. There are various opinions concerning the exact dates of his birth and death, but according to Buddhist tradition, he is said to have been born April 8, 1029 BC and died on February 15, 949 BC, although other Buddhist scholars place his birth five hundred years later.

Shakyamuni Buddha was the son of the king of the Shakyas, a small tribe whose kingdom was located at the foothills of the Himalayas, south of what is now central Nepal, fifteen miles from Kapilavastu. Shakya of Shakyamuni is taken from the name of this tribe and muni means sage or saint. His family name was Gautama (Best Cow) and his given name was Siddhartha (Goal Achieved) though some scholars say this is a title bestowed on him by later Buddhists in honour of the enlightenment he attained.

Even though many Buddhists observe Buddha's historical birth on April 8, the exact date remains in question. Although modern archeological and historical research confirms that Prince Siddartha Gotama lived around this time.

The exact date of Vesak is the first full moon in the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Gregorian calendar, but is typically in May.

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Vesak Day (韦塞节)

Vesak Day celebration in Borobudur temple, Indonesia

Vesākha (Pali;Sanskrit: Vaiśākha, Devanagari: वैशाख), Wesak or Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists on different days in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and the South East Asian countries of Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia, and other places all over the world. Sometimes informally called "Buddha's Birthday", it actually commemorates the birth, enlightenment (nirvāna), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition.

The exact date of Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. In China, Japan, and Korea, it is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June.

The name of the observance is derived from the Pali term vesākha or Sanskrit vaiśākha, which is the name of the lunar month in the Hindu calendar falling in April–May (see Vaisakha).[5] In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name (Vaiśākha) and derived variants of it.

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5 things you should know about this Buddhist celebration

More than 10,000 Buddhist devotees gathered at Hougang Stadium on May 24, 2015, as they held lotus-shaped candles and prayed for peace in the lead up to Vesak day on June 1. National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is Buddhist, joined the procession.  -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha. It is celebrated by Buddhists around the world.

The date of Vesak Day varies around the world depending on the lunar calendars used in different cultures. Generally, in countries following the Western Gregorian calendar, it will happen in May, or June during leap years. However, in China, Japan and Korea, Vesak Day is celebrated on April 8.

On the day, Buddhists will usually visit their temples for ceremonies which will include prayers and offerings of candles and flowers. Other common rituals include bathing a Buddha statue, sharing in vegetarian meals as well as listening to teachings by monks.

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Buddha's Birthday: Fó Dàn Rì 佛诞日 (Simplified) 佛誕日 (Traditional)

A statue of the child Gautama Buddha as depicted in his apocryphal story of birth

Buddha's Birthday is a holiday traditionally celebrated in Mahayana Buddhism to commemorate the birth of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later the Gautama Buddha and founder of Buddhism. According to the Theravada Tripitaka scriptures (from Pali, meaning "three baskets"), Gautama was born in Lumbini in modern-day Nepal, around the year 563 BCE, and raised in Kapilavastu.

The exact date of Buddha's Birthday is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Baisakh month of the Buddhist calendar and the Bikram Sambat Hindu calendar, and hence it is also called Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar.

In China, Hong Kong and Korea, it is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In Nepal and neighboring South Asian and Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), Buddha's birthday Vesak Day (韦塞节) is celebrated on the 15th day of 4th lunar month.

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