VietNamNet Bridge – Tens of thousands of pilgrims went to Yen Tu in Quang Ninh province from the early morning of February 1, climbed the high mountain in a bid to touch the bronze pagoda on the mountain top.


The Yen Tu Pagoda Festival opened in the morning of February 1. Yen Tu is Vietnam’s Buddhist capital.











Vice President of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Doan (first from the left), high-ranking officials of Quang Ninh province
 and Buddhist monks carry a thurible.












On the first day of festival, the cable car system worked at full capacity.






Many old people leaned again sticks to climb up to the Chua Dong (Bronze Pagoda) on the mountain top.






After taking cable cars, pilgrims had to climb up for several kilometers to reach the pagoda.






The relic management board said that around 60,000 people attended the first day of festival.



















The road to the Bronze Pagoda.






Over 700 years ago, King Tran Nhan Tong gave up the throne to be
come a Buddhist monk. He founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist order. Yen
Tu is not only the Buddhist capital of Vietnam but also a famous landscape.
Bronze Pagoda is the centre of the festival.


PV