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| Hundreds of tourists pray for favour from Lord Buddha at Hương Tích Cavern in Hương Pagoda. VNA Photos Minh Quyết |
The Hương (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, the longest of its kind in Việt Nam, officially began in Hương Sơn Commune in Hà Nội’s outlying district of Mỹ Đức on February 15 (the 6th day of the first lunar month).
This year, the festival, themed Safe – Civilised – Friendly, opens for pilgrims to pray for good fortune and contemplate the Hương Sơn Landscape Complex, the Mỹ Đức District People’s Committee announced recently.
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| Going to Hương Pagoda is a spiritual journey to a Buddhist Land where the Goddess of Mercy inspires a religious life. |
This year’s festival inaugurates the use of e-tickets instead of paper ones to curb congestion and overcrowding, with up to 4,500 boats and 110 electrical cars available to offer transport services.
Going to Hương Pagoda is a spiritual journey to a Buddhist Land where the Goddess of Mercy inspires a religious life. Visitors enjoy sightseeing at pagodas, temples and caves which are the main attractions at the Hương Pagoda Festival, and join ceremonies to ask favour from Lord Buddha.
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| People receive water drops from limestone in Hương Tích Cavern, praying for peace, happiness and prosperity. |
According to Nguyễn Bá Hiển, head of the management board of the Hương Sơn landscape complex, also known as Hương Pagoda and featuring a series of Buddhist pagodas, caves and temples, the annual event opened for festivalgoers on February 11. The number of people coming to worship and visit the site has so far amounted to 130,000.
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| Tourists on small boats in Yến Stream. The boats, rowed by local women, take one hour to get to the foot of the mountain. |
Built in the late 17th century, the complex has a large number of pagodas, temples and caverns filled with marvellous stalactites and stalagmites. Hương Tích Cavern has a carved inscription by Lord Trịnh Sâm from 1770 describing the cavern as the most beautiful cave in the country.
It was recognised as a special national relic site in 2017. VNS
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| A worship ceremony at Hương Pagoda. |
