Than Hsiang Temple held the Than Hsiang Buddhist Welfare Association Malaysia 40th Anniversary and Than Hsiang Mitra Welfare Centre 35th Anniversary Gratitude Night on Sunday, April 20th,2025. The venue was the SMJK Phor Tay High School sports hall. The event that day was grand and filled with warmth.

During that evening event, when Most Venerable Wei Wu delivered his speech, he mentioned that to ensure the future healthy growth of the Than Hsiang Organisation, three councils were established many years ago. First, there is the Council of Elders, consisting of retired members, currently mainly monastic members and core of the Organisation. The monastic Sangha also has a council of five members. During elections, the members with the most votes remain on the council and becomes the abbot.

Most Venerable Wei Wu also mentioned the establishment of the Lay Sangha Council, comprising a chairman and four members, which oversees the secular affairs of the organisation. For example, all the managers report to the chairman of the Lay Council.

Both the monastic council and the lay sangha council have already gone through one round of elections and have been operating for a number of years.

Most Venerable Wei Wu reported that the first phase of the Tanjung Malim Xiang Yun monastery has been completed. In the meantime, they are still waiting for the authorities’ Occupancy Certificate (OC) to proceed with various related activities.

The “Gratitude Night” banquet hosted over a hundred tables. The former Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon was presence during the event.

Thus, during that evening event, there were different performances performed by the young kindergarten students and energetic youth to the senior citizens of Wan Ching Yuen. Each captivating performance was rich in variety and overflowing with warmth, earning rounds of applause and cheers from the entire audience.

The most eye-catching performance at Than Hsiang Temple's "Gratitude Night" was undoubtedly the performance by 14 senior citizens from the Wan Ching Yuen, whose combined age exceeded a thousand years. the senior citizens dressed in elegant Nyonya attire, sang and danced to two songs: "Tian Mi Mi" and "Rasa Sayang". Notably, one male senior citizen was dressed in traditional Malay attire, complete with a songkok, showcasing his charm. Additionally, another pair of senior citizens played the gongs and drums, adding a unique touch of fun and vitality to the entire performance.

The finale of the performance was a heartwarming and touching sign language performance of "One Family" by the Than Hsiang Youth and the Than Hsiang Sunday Dharma School. This performance garnered continuous applause and cheers from the audience, leaving everyone feeling deeply warmed and profoundly moved.

Lastly, the emcee expresses the deepest gratitude and appreciation to Triple Gem and Dharma protectors for their blessings and protection; to each volunteer and performer, for their tireless effort in preparations and executions; to each participant for the presence. These forty years mark not an end, but a new beginning. Let us carry forward Venerable Wei Wu’s guiding principles- the Three Minds(Compassion, focus, perseverance) and Two intentions (sincerity, goodwill)-as we continue our Bodhi path.

******************************************************
More photos: https://www.thanhsiang.org/ch/node/6488
******************************************************

Spread the Buddha's teachings to guide more people to study Buddhism.
Continue diligently in the path studying the Buddha's teachings and listening to the Dharma.
Follow us on:
https://linktr.ee/thanhsiang