Huong Pagoda – A “Must-See” Destination in Spring

Huong (Perfume) pagoda is well-known as not only a religious site, but also a great sight-seeing spot in the country. During its festival, the nation’s most elaborate one, which lasts from the beginning of January to the end of March of the lunar calendar, the pagoda attracts millions of pilgrims and visitors.

Huong pagoda is located in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, about 60km southwest of Hanoi. It is one of the largest and most unique religious sites in Hanoi with a complex of pagodas, shrines and communal houses scattered on Huong Son (Perfume mountain). The most sacred and important place of the complex is Huong Tich (Traces of perfume) pagoda or Chua Trong (Inner pagoda) which is located inside Huong Tich grotto.

During the three-month festival, many rites and artistic performances are held to commemorate the Bodhisattva Kwan Yin who, according to legend, reached enlightenment at Huong Pagoda. It attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists, including many foreign travelers who made their way up the Huong Son mountain range to recapture the serenity that has inspired generations of poets, including one of the Trinh warlords, to extol the area’s celestial beauty.