Huong Pagoda Festival - A unique beauty of the North during Tet

Huong Pagoda Festival is a beautiful cultural feature every spring when people go to the temple to pray for peace.

1. Where is the Huong Pagoda Festival held? When does it take place?

Huong Pagoda is one of the largest pagoda complexes when traveling to the North (Photo source: Collected)

The Perfume Pagoda Festival, one of the Northern festivals during Tet that is imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, is held in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, about 70 km south of Hanoi center. This location is located in the middle of a scenic complex with beautiful landscapes, surrounded by limestone mountains and the clear Day River.

The Perfume Pagoda Festival usually starts on the 6th day of the first lunar month and lasts until the end of March, with the peak being on the weekends. This is the ideal time for tourists to experience Northern tourism during Tet, exploring the sacred spiritual space and majestic nature of the famous pagoda.

2. Origin and meaning of Huong Pagoda festival

Huong Pagoda Festival opens on the 6th day of the first lunar month (Photo source: Collected)

2.1. Historical origin of Huong Pagoda festival

The Perfume Pagoda Festival has a history dating back to the 17th century, closely linked to the preaching career of Zen master Tu Dao Hanh. According to legend, Tu Dao Hanh chose Perfume Mountain as a place to practice and later developed into an important Buddhist center. This location was chosen for its majestic natural landscape, with limestone mountains, amazing caves and winding rivers, creating a sacred and mysterious scene.

Over the centuries, the Perfume Pagoda Festival has become an inseparable part of the religious life of the Vietnamese people, especially the Northern community. From a resting place for monks, this place has developed into an important religious relic complex, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

2.2. The meaning of Huong Pagoda festival

The Perfume Pagoda Festival is not only a religious event, but also has profound cultural, spiritual and community significance. For the people of the North, the festival is an occasion to express respect to Buddha and pray for a new year of peace, luck and prosperity.

The sacred space of Huong Pagoda is like a spiritual gathering place, where people can find peace and soothe their souls after busy, worried days. Traveling to the North during Tet at Huong Pagoda is a journey of inner discovery, connecting with nature and profound cultural traditions.

3. Rituals and activities in the Huong Pagoda festival

Experience taking a boat to Huong Pagoda while admiring the beautiful green mountains (Photo source: Collected)

3.1. Mountain opening ceremony - forest opening ceremony

The opening ceremony is one of the most important parts of the Huong Pagoda festival. Early in the morning, monks in the pagoda will conduct the opening ceremony, signaling the start of the festival season. The ceremony takes place solemnly, with the participation of monks, organizers and many Buddhists.

The sound of temple bells and incense smoke rising up, creating a sacred and solemn atmosphere. This is the most sacred moment, when people seem to be in harmony with nature, sending their prayers for peace for the new year in the spiritual space of the Huong Pagoda festival.

3.2. Incense offering ritual

Incense offering is a deeply spiritual activity in the festival. Every visitor to Huong Pagoda wishes to perform this ritual to express their respect to Buddha and the gods. Incense smoke rises, spreading a sacred space, making visitors feel purified and at peace.

People prepare beautiful bundles of incense, pure incense sticks to offer, along with sincere prayers. Each puff of smoke rises, like a bridge between humans and the divine, carrying dreams and wishes for a good new year.

3.3. Festival part of Huong Pagoda festival

Besides the spiritual rituals, the festival part of Huong Pagoda is always vibrant and colorful. Folk cultural activities such as water puppetry, Cheo singing, and folk performances are performed vividly, imbued with the cultural identity of the North.

The festival atmosphere is filled with laughter, music and traditional folk games. Visitors can enjoy typical cuisine, participate in cultural activities, or simply admire the poetic scenery of Huong Pagoda.

4. How to get to Huong Pagoda

To get to Huong Pagoda, visitors can choose from several main means of transport such as buses, motorbikes or private cars. From the center of Hanoi, you can travel along National Highway 21A, then turn onto the road to Huong Pagoda. The route is about 70 km and takes about 2 hours.

For those who like to experience, they can choose to go by boat to enjoy the poetic river scenery. The waterway route from the boat dock to Huong Pagoda is an extremely interesting and unique experience of traveling to the North during Tet.

5. Tour routes to Huong Pagoda

The charming scenery of green mountains and blue water at Huong Pagoda (Photo source: Collected)

The Huong Pagoda relic site has many attractive tourist attractions such as the Outer Pagoda, the Inner Pagoda, Huong Tich Cave, Lac Thien Cave... Each location has its own beauty, combining religious architecture, spiritual space and majestic natural scenery.

Visitors can follow the main sightseeing routes such as: river boat route, mountain climbing route, or sightseeing route to historical sites. Each route offers different experiences, from peaceful tranquility to exciting exploration.

6. Notes when going to Huong Pagoda festival

When attending the Huong Pagoda Festival, visitors should note a few points to have a complete trip to the North during Tet. Please dress politely and discreetly when entering the pagoda, avoid wearing clothes that are too short or revealing.

Prepare comfortable shoes for moving, bring drinking water and some necessary personal items. You should go in groups or groups to ensure safety and convenience in moving and exploring.

The Perfume Pagoda Festival is not only a normal cultural and spiritual event, but also a profound spiritual and cultural experience. This is a great opportunity for visitors to explore the unique beauty of the North during Tet, connecting with the sacred space and long-standing cultural traditions.

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/le-hoi-chua-huong-v16107.aspx