Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda (Huong Pagoda) and the Huong Tich Cave is a famous scenic spot of Vietnam. It is located in Huong Son Commune, Chuong My District, Ha Tay province, 70km from Hanoi. The Perfume Pagoda consists of a group of caves and is an impressive architectural ensemble of both human and natural endeavor. The Perfume Pagoda Festival lasts from the 6th day of the 1st month to the end of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. Visitors can get tot the Perfume Pagoda either by the inland road that goes by the Hanoi - Ha Dong - Van Dinh - Huong Son route, or by water from the township of Phu Ly along the river to Duc Port in Yen Vi.

The Vietnamese believe that Huong Son is Buddha’s Heaven. Huong Son is considered the place to worship Brodhisattva Kwan Yin. People conduct a dragon dance in the yard of Trinh Pagoda, and sail the royal barge on the 6th day of the 1st month. The festival is held in three places, Huong Tich, Tuyet Son, and Long Van. The festival is most crowded from the 15th - 20th day of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar as this period marks the main festival. The path leading from Ngoai Pagoda to Trong Pagoda is full of visitors coming up and down the mountain. A pilgrimage to the Perfume Pagoda is not only for religious reasons, but also to see the numerous natural landscapes and the buildings that are valuable artifacts of the nation.