The Huong (Perfume) pagoda in Hanoi’s suburban district of My Duc opened on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year (January 28), attracting tens of thousands of people from across the country.

The opening ceremony started with folk music performances including Quan Ho (love duet singing) and Chau Van (spiritual singing) as well as Tu Lan (unicorn) dances.

In preparation for the festival, My Duc district invested more than VND20 billion (US$1 million) to upgrade infrastructure and train local people in Huong Son communes about security and food safety.

A modern waste treatment line was also installed to ensure environmental sanitation during the event.

Vietnam’s largest and longest Buddhist festival will last until April 30 (April 10 according to the lunar calendar).

Huong Pagoda Festival

Every year, when the spring comes, millions of people from all over Vietnam would travel to Ha Noi to take part in one of the country’s most elaborate festivals to welcome the Lunar New Year.

Traditionally celebrated from the 6th day of the first month to the end of the third month in reference to the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar, this year’s Huong Pagoda Festival officially opened on January 28. A Vietnamese custom, a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda is said to bring health, prosperity, good luck and happiness. Known as the longest and largest festival in Vietnam, the main festival days yet will begin on the 15th of the second lunar month and would last on the 20th day of the same month.

Consisting of a chain of temples and shrines, Chua Huong, otherwise called as Perfume Pagoda, holds a long history of Vietnamese literature apart from being the most popular religious site in the country. This sanctuary is located 70 km southwest of Ha Noi hub, which normally would require travellers about 2 hours of road trip to get to Ben Duc pier alone.

Though the foot of the pagoda complex can be reached by road from the pier, using row boats to cross the Yen Vi river is a more popular option for many because of the romantic view and breathtaking scenes that will unfold during the course of the 45-minute boat ride.

As a symbolic tradition, the boat ride makes a quick stop at Den Trinh (Registration Shrine) for visitors to "trinh" or register at the shrine and announce their intentions. And though there are several wonderful sites to visit at the Perfume Pagoda area; Hinh Bong pagoda, Giai Oan pagoda, Thanh Son Pagoda, Long Van, Cay Khe, Tuyet Son and Mau Me temple to name a few, the trip highlights the Thien Tru pagoda and the Huong Tich cave.

The Thien Tru temple (heavenly kitchen), which is the boat’s next stop, is considered as the Outer Temple built back in the 18th century and is embedded with rock formations that resemble busy chefs working in the kitchen. The temple is also famous for a granite monolith, called Thuy Tien tower that stands on it. To its right, is another popular site, Tien Son grotto, which is famous for its five granite statues and the various formations on its cave walls. Such formations, when struck, produce percussion-like sounds like that of a popular Vietnamese musical instrument “khanh”, while the others produce bell-like sounds.

The visit continues to Dong Huong Tich (Huong Tich Cave or Inner Temple), in which pilgrims have to climb the hundreds of stoned steps, and during occasional stops, gives visitors a chance to contemplate on the beautiful landscape amidst the daily life of local farmers.

As the temple lies deep within the grotto, visitors then need to take the 120 steps descending to Huong Tich Grotto, literally meaning "traces of fragrance", passing through a large gate at the cave’s entrance. The gate appears like a dragon’s mouth, in which above it, five Chinese characters are inscribed in the granite slab, reading Nam Thien De Nhat Dong (the most beautiful cave in the South), believed to be written by Vietnam ruler Trinh Sam (1767-1782).

As not all visitors can endure the climb, cable car systems were built during the recent years. At 30000 Dongs for a one-way ticket, most visitors opt to go up by cable car and walk down to save energy yet still have the opportunity to enjoy the scenic views.

The Huong Pagoda Festival is an amazing combination of romance, appreciation of nature and devotion to Buddha. The boat trip, sightseeing, mountain climbing, cave visit and religious ceremonies incorporated into one memorable celebration sets it apart from other festivals in the country.

The Pagoda’s remarkable beauty and extraordinary landscape is a living proof of the Buddhist architecture harmonizing with nature, giving tourists an opportunity to relax and enjoy a moment of sooth and clam amidst all the noise and energy brought along by spring’s festivities. The Huong Pagoda Festival, in fact, is so well-recognized and has now been submitted for designation of UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.



VNE/VNN/VPN