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The Huong Pagoda is not only a captivating landscape with its charming natural beauty but also a famous destination for cultural and spiritual exploration in Vietnam. Every year, as Tet approaches and spring arrives, thousands of Buddhists and tourists from all over gather to attend the Huong Pagoda festival. So, where does the Huong Pagoda festival take place? What are the dates?... Let's explore the Huong Pagoda festival together with Mytour in the following insights.
1. About the Huong Pagoda Festival
1.1 Where Does the Huong Pagoda Festival Take Place
The Huong Pagoda Festival takes place at the scenic Huong Son landscape in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi. Just about 62 km southwest of the capital center, the Huong Pagoda festival attracts people from across the North to celebrate the spring pilgrimage.
There is a coincidence between Huong Pagoda in Ha Tinh and Huong Pagoda in Hanoi as they share the same name, causing confusion about where the Huong Pagoda festival takes place. However, these are two completely different pagodas with separate religious practices. The famous location for the Huong Pagoda festival is the Huong Pagoda in My Duc, Hanoi.
Huong Pagoda is a colloquial term for the Huong Son scenic area. In reality, Huong Son is a large cultural and religious complex consisting of many pagodas, shrines, and agricultural worship sites such as the Trinh shrine, Thien Tru pagoda, Giap Oan pagoda, etc. The central point of this entire complex is the Trong Pagoda located inside Huong Tich cave.
1.2 When does the Huong Pagoda festival take place?
Many travelers may wonder when does the Huong Pagoda festival take place? how long does the Huong Pagoda festival last? Let Mytour provide you with the answers.
The Huong Pagoda festival takes place from the 6th day of the first lunar month to the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. This is also the festival season in Vietnam, so the Huong Pagoda festival lasts for 3 months to allow people from all over to return for spring pilgrimage. Especially in the first days of the year, Huong Pagoda welcomes many Buddhists and pilgrims who come to pray, worship, and seek blessings for the new year.
2. The cultural significance of the Huong Pagoda festival
Introducing the Huong Pagoda festival cannot be separated from discussing the precious cultural values of the nation. The Huong Pagoda festival is where various religions and unique folk beliefs of Vietnam converge. Let Mytour explore the origins and meanings of the Huong Pagoda festival to gain insight into the profound cultural values it brings.
2.1 Origin of the Huong Pagoda festival
The Huong Pagoda was constructed in the 17th century, over 300 years ago. This temple is closely associated with the folk belief of worshipping the Goddess Ba Chua Ba, based on the legend of Princess Dieu Thien who meditated for 9 years in the Huong Tich cave and attained enlightenment to become a Buddha spreading salvation to sentient beings.
Every year on Buddha's Birthday (the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month), people from all over come to offer incense to Goddess Ba Chua Ba and pray for blessings. Buddha's Birthday falls in the midst of spring, when flowers are blooming and the weather is pleasant, so pilgrims not only come to worship but also enjoy the scenic beauty of Huong Son Mountain. This is also the origin of the Huong Pagoda festival in later years.
In the year Canh Dan (1770), Lord Trinh Sam, the ruler of Tinh Do (Hanoi), visited Tran Son Nam with his generals and lit incense in the Huong Tich cave, leaving an inscription on the cave's entrance rock with five characters: 'Nam Thien De Nhat Dong' (Southern Heaven's First Cave). Since then, more and more people flocked to Huong Tich cave, making it a major religious site for ancient Vietnamese.
However, in the early days, people only visited the small temples without organizing any festivals. It wasn't until the 8th year of the Thanh Thai reign in 1896 that the Huong Pagoda festival was officially inaugurated on a large scale. The opening day of the festival also marks the opening of the forest to express gratitude to the mountain deity of Huong Son according to ancient folk beliefs, which falls on the 6th day of the lunar new year every year.
2.2 Significance of the Huong Pagoda festival
The significance of the Huong Pagoda festival is expressed through two main activities: the ritual and the fair.
The ritual part involves communication and showing reverence to the deities to convey the wishes and aspirations of the people for the new year. Many may wonder who is worshipped at Huong Pagoda? The religious complex of Huong Son includes various temples dedicated to Buddha, shrines for deities, communal houses for agricultural deities, and worship places for mother goddesses. Therefore, different rituals are organized accordingly.
The Cua Vong Temple venerates the Upper Forest Lady who reigns over the mountainous forests as the supreme mountain deity, along with the North Tower Temple, Snow Mountain Temple, Chua Ca Temple, and Quan Communal House honoring the Five Tigers and worship of river deities, among others. At the heart of this religious complex is the Trong Pagoda, dedicated to Buddha (the Lady Buddha). The ritual part involves visitors offering incense, fruits, and prayers for their wishes for life, family, and a prosperous and lucky new year.
After the ritual part, there comes the festival part for tourists to enjoy while visiting the temple. The Huong Pagoda festival annually organizes numerous folk games and cultural activities such as boat racing, mountain climbing, cheo singing, van singing, etc. Visitors will immerse themselves in the lively and festive atmosphere of the spring festival and enjoy various specialties of the Huong Son forest.
Despite the increasingly modernized society, the Huong Pagoda festival remains an important spiritual and cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people. It's not only a pilgrimage site but also a symbol of harmony between humans and nature, and the unity of the nation. The significance of the Huong Pagoda festival is simple yet holds significant traditional cultural values of Vietnam.
3. Experience for attending the Huong Pagoda festival
If you're planning to join the Huong Pagoda festival this spring, then check out Mytour's tips for visiting the Huong Pagoda festival to plan your trip effectively.
3.1 Guide on how to get to Huong Pagoda
Huong Pagoda is not far from Hanoi city center, about 62km to the southwest, so you can choose various means of transportation from the city center such as motorbike, car, bus,... If you're coming from southern provinces, you can fly to Noi Bai International Airport and then travel to Huong Pagoda.
If you're using personal transportation like motorbike, car,... from Hanoi, then follow Nguyen Trai Street to Ha Dong, then turn left onto QL21B. Continue for about 40km until you reach Te Tieu town, My Duc district. Then turn left following the signs and ask locals for directions to Huong Pagoda.
If you want to take the bus, you can choose from the following routes:
- Bus route 103A: My Dinh Bus Station - Huong Son Bus Station (My Duc District)
- Bus route 211: My Dinh Bus Station - Te Tieu
Tips for attending the Huong Pagoda festival by bus involve walking quite a distance to reach the boat dock. You can consider hiring a motorbike taxi or a taxi for transportation, but make sure to inquire about the price to avoid overcharging during the festival. If you prefer not to worry about transportation, then book a Huong Pagoda tour with Mytour for full service from A to Z.
3.2 What makes the Huong Pagoda festival attractive
Visitors to Huong Pagoda will glide on the dreamy Yen Stream, listen to folk melodies, and immerse themselves in the beautiful scenery here. If you're fit enough, you can hike up the steps leading to Trong Pagoda and Huong Tich Cave to show reverence to the deities and fully appreciate the beauty of the Huong Son mountains. It can be said that the Huong Pagoda pilgrimage is not just a temple festival, but also a time for people to blend with the flora and understand the mystical nature that we often overlook in our busy lives.
Mytour suggests 3 main sightseeing routes at the Huong Pagoda festival:
Huong Tich Route: Duc Pier - Trinh Temple - Thien Tru Pagoda - Tien Son Cave - Giai Oan Pagoda - Huong Tich Cave. This is the most popular sightseeing route, visiting many sacred temples.
Thanh Son Route: Duc Pier - Thanh Son Pagoda - Long Van Pagoda - Long Van Cave - Sung Sam Cave.
Tuyet Son Route: Trinh Temple - Tuyet Son Pagoda - Tuyet Son Cave - Bao Dai Pagoda.
Among them, Duc Pier (Yen Stream) will be the first stop for visitors to Huong Pagoda. With a length of about 4km, Yen Stream is the only waterway leading to Huong Pagoda. Visitors must take a boat across Yen Stream to reach Huong Pagoda.
Trinh Temple: Following the flow of Yen Stream, visitors will encounter Trinh Temple first. Trinh Temple is a small temple built at the foot of Ngu Nhac mountain.
Thien Tru Pagoda: This temple was built on the foothills of Lao mountain from the 15th century. Visitors can not only worship the Buddha here but also admire the architectural style of the temple from the Le - Nguyen dynasty.
Thien Tru Pagoda is likened to a fairyland with its ancient architectural beauty.
Tien Son Cave: This small cave is filled with numerous stalactites in various beautiful shapes such as hearts, Buddha's hands, white elephant tusks, etc.
Giai Oan Pagoda: At this temple, visitors can admire the ancient architectural style with the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Visitors can also learn about the famous story associated with this temple.
Huong Tich Cave: Huong Tich Cave is located about 40 km from Giai Oan Pagoda. At an altitude of 390m, visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of the majestic mountains and the inner beauty of Huong Tich Cave - known as the 'First Cave of the South Heaven'
Long Van Pagoda and Long Van Cave: Both Long Van Pagoda and Long Van Cave are situated along the stream of the same name (a branch of Suoi Yen). The pagoda is nestled on the mountain slope with picturesque scenery.
Tuyet Son Pagoda and Tuyet Son Cave: In addition to the worship statues that visitors can admire, they can also marvel at the stalactites in various shapes.
In addition to exploring the Huong Pagoda complex, visitors can also visit Sưng Sàm Cave. Furthermore, when attending the Huong Pagoda festival, you can participate in various cultural activities such as: cultural performances on the opening day, traditional games, etc.
3.3 Huong Pagoda ticket prices
Huong Pagoda entrance fees are always kept stable and transparent for visitors:
Huong Son scenic spot ticket prices: 80,000 VND/person (including entrance fee to Huong Pagoda and 21 other scenic spots within Huong Son).
Huong Pagoda boat tickets: For the Trinh Temple - Thien Tru Pagoda - Huong Tich Cave route, the price is 50,000 VND/person (round trip), and for the Tuyet Son and Long Van routes, the boat ticket price is 35,000 VND/person (round trip).
Huong Pagoda cable car tickets: Round-trip ticket prices for adults are 180,000 VND/ticket and for children are 120,000 VND/ticket. One-way cable car ticket prices for adults are 120,000 VND/ticket and for children are 90,000 VND/ticket.
Moreover, for priority cases such as war invalids, children under 1.1 meters tall, or children under 10 years old, admission is completely free. If you visit Huong Pagoda on the 30th, 1st, or 2nd day of Lunar New Year, April 15th (Buddha's Birthday), or November 23rd (Heritage Day), admission is also free.
3.4 Where to Stay When Visiting Huong Pagoda Festival
Huong Pagoda is a complex of many temples and shrines scattered around the Suoi Yen area. According to the experience of attending Huong Pagoda Festival shared, if you want to visit all the temples and shrines here, it will take about 2 to 3 days. Mytour recommends some hotels near Huong Son scenic spot such as Thinh Khang Hotel, Thanh Hai Hotel, Minh Hoang Hotel, Hoa Nam Hotel, Omerta Hotel, etc.
3.5 What to Eat When Attending Huong Pagoda Festival
In the scenic area, there are many restaurants serving 24/7, but the prices are quite expensive, especially during the Huong Pagoda festival season. You can choose to eat at these restaurants for convenience or find restaurants outside the scenic area with slightly cheaper prices. It's advisable to bring your own food if you want to save costs.
Some Huong Pagoda specialties that you can enjoy or buy as gifts include: lotus seed sweet soup, lotus seed cakes, wild apricots, water spinach, hazelnuts, ginger roots,...
3.6 Huong Pagoda Festival 2024
In 2024, the Huong Pagoda festival will be held from January 23, 2024 (the 2nd day of Lunar New Year) to April 23, 2024 (March 4, 2024). Visitors can come to the Huong Son relic complex and participate in the opening ceremony at the Thien Tru Pagoda on January 27, 2024 (the 6th day of Lunar New Year).
Additionally, unlike previous years, tourists can now purchase tickets online instead of only buying them directly at ticket booths.
3.7 Some Notes When Attending the Huong Pagoda Festival
Appropriate attire: When visiting Huong Pagoda, you must remember to dress modestly to show respect for the deities. Even as sightseers, wearing revealing clothing lacks respect for the local culture.
Civilized behavior: The Huong Pagoda festival draws crowds from all directions, making overcrowding inevitable. Going on a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda is to seek peace of mind, so avoid pushing, shouting, or littering. Absolutely refrain from littering or throwing coins into the forest, which would disrupt the beauty of the landscape.
Avoid Following Boat Touts: During the crowded festival season, many take advantage of this to lure tourists onto boats to the pagoda at excessively inflated prices. Therefore, it's best to purchase tickets directly at the entrance gate or contact boat operators around the Suoi Yen area. The boat ticket prices are strictly regulated by the management, so be sure to thoroughly research the information to avoid falling into traps.
Avoid Scams: Understanding the vulnerability of tourists visiting Huong Pagoda, various traditional medicine sellers with cheap remedies for all ailments can be found along the path to Huong Tich Cave. Most of these medicines are of dubious origin, and the sellers often impersonate as doctors or traditional healers.
Above are some valuable insights and information about the Huong Pagoda festival compiled by Mytour. Wishing you and your family a complete spring journey and a year full of luck. If you're interested in pilgrimage tours or Tet 2024 tours, feel free to contact Mytour's hotline Mytour for free advice.
