From sharing Buddhist teachings on TikTok to accepting donations via QR codes, temples in Vietnam's northern Quang Ninh province are embracing technology to connect with followers and modernize religious administration.
Buddhist teachings reach TikTok as temples adopt QR code donations
Buddhist teachings are no longer confined to sermons delivered within temple walls. Through social media, they are reaching wider audiences, allowing followers and members of the public to explore Buddhist philosophy wherever and whenever they choose.
Platforms such as Facebook and TikTok have become channels for sharing religious teachings, making Buddhism more accessible to people who may not have the opportunity to visit temples regularly.
At Van Phong Pagoda in Hoanh Bo Ward, Quang Ninh province, Venerable Thich Thanh Van, the temple's abbot, uses Facebook to post Buddhist teachings and TikTok to share videos of his sermons.
Social media not only broadens access to Buddhist teachings, particularly for those unable to attend temple activities in person, but also creates new ways for temples to maintain connections with their communities.
Bringing Buddhist teachings online, however, also raises questions about content quality. Sermons need to be presented in ways that are accessible and appropriate for digital audiences while remaining faithful to Buddhist doctrine. Care must also be taken to prevent edited or misleading content from distorting religious teachings.
Visitors make religious donations by scanning QR codes at Long Tien Pagoda. Photo: My Dung
Technology is also changing everyday practices at places of worship, extending beyond the way Buddhist teachings are shared.
At Long Tien Pagoda, visitors can make voluntary religious donations by scanning a QR code and transferring money electronically. With a smartphone, worshippers can contribute without having to carry cash.
Pham Thi Thu, a resident of Viet Hung Ward, welcomed the convenience.
"Scanning a QR code gives me more flexibility because I no longer need to prepare cash in advance. Making a donation is still entirely voluntary. The QR code simply changes how we do it," she said.
Beyond facilitating payments, QR codes can also be used to provide information about a temple's history, architecture and cultural significance, allowing visitors and tourists to learn more about religious sites during their visits.
These developments show how digital technology is gradually becoming part of Buddhist life, offering greater convenience without changing the spiritual meaning of traditional practices.
Gradual digitalization of Buddhist administration
Alongside changes in religious outreach, digital transformation is creating new demands for the management and administration of Buddhist activities.
This has become particularly relevant following the restructuring of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the country's national Buddhist organization, into a more streamlined structure effective July 1, 2025.
Quang Ninh currently has 625 monks and nuns, more than 150 Buddhist temples and monasteries, and approximately 200,000 Buddhist followers participating in 260 religious practice groups and associations.
Quang Ninh currently has 625 monks and nuns, more than 150 Buddhist establishments and approximately 200,000 Buddhist followers. Photo: My Dung
With Buddhist establishments spread across urban areas, mountainous districts, border communities and islands, maintaining up-to-date information and coordinating activities requires increasingly flexible management methods.
Following the streamlining of intermediate administrative bodies, management boards at individual Buddhist establishments have assumed more direct responsibility for organizing temple activities.
This has increased the need to adopt digital tools, reduce reliance on paper records and improve administrative efficiency.
Efforts to develop a unified database covering Buddhist monks, nuns, temples and monasteries are currently being studied, coordinated and proposed for gradual implementation.
If introduced in a coordinated manner, such a system could help maintain updated records of monks and nuns, manage personnel information, compile data on annual monastic retreats and track other Buddhist activities.
The aim would be to make administration more convenient, accurate and efficient.
According to Venerable Thich Bao Minh, a member of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Quang Ninh province, digital transformation must address three interconnected areas: people, data and operational processes.
Simply investing in equipment and software, he said, would not be enough.
Monks and nuns need digital skills suited to their administrative responsibilities, while younger members of the monastic community could play an important role in helping temples adopt new technologies.
Despite the benefits, digitalization also brings challenges that require careful attention, including data security, transparency in financial transactions and support for people who are unfamiliar with smartphones and other digital devices.
From online Buddhist sermons and QR code donations to plans for digital management of monastic personnel and religious establishments, Buddhism in Quang Ninh is gradually adapting to an increasingly digital society.
The transformation is not merely about making religious activities more convenient. It also offers opportunities to strengthen ties with communities and bring Buddhist cultural and ethical values to a wider audience in modern life.
Vietnamnet.vn
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