HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's longest festival, the Hương (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, kicks off on the sixth day of the first lunar month (which falls on February 3 this year) and will continue to captivate visitors for three vibrant months, ending on May 1.

The Mỹ Đức District in Hà Nội, home to the magnificent Hương Sơn Landscape Complex, also known as Hương Pagoda, has pulled out all the stops in preparation for the festival. With a slew of management innovations, they are ensuring this cultural and tourist haven is all set to shine.

A stunning backdrop set by the Hương Pagoda's wharf, ready to greet festival-goers. — Photo nguoihanoi.vn

The festival’s organising committee has gone above and beyond, boosting promotion through mass media and sprucing up the surroundings. Additionally, a trail lined with panels, backdrops and vibrant flower pots along Provincial Road 419 – the main route – and a vivid pedestrian path along Yến Stream, are all designed to create an enchanting atmosphere for festival-goers.

The integration of scenic entrance and boat tickets at the Hương Pagoda Festival 2025 is one of the significant upgrades designed to enhance visitor convenience, as noted by Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of Mỹ Đức District and Head of the festival’s organising committee, Đặng Văn Cảnh.

He said that the festival is prioritising top-notch service quality for its guests.

Boats filled with festival-goers glide along Yến Stream in the Hương Sơn Landscape Complex. — Photo nld.vn

Nearly 4,000 boats, all uniformly painted according to regulations, are set to transport visitors. These boats are equipped with life jackets, trash bins, umbrellas, seating and complimentary drinking water.

Plus, each boatman will feature a QR code to streamline management by the organising board and to facilitate feedback on their service attitude. Boats will be available to transport festival-goers daily, from the early morning hours of 4.30am until 8pm.

This attention to detail ensures that visitors will have a smooth and enjoyable experience at the festival.

The organising committee is also stepping up efforts to improve the festival experience. They will enhance monitoring to address the sale of off-putting items and limit the use of noisy loudspeakers, while ensuring security and fire prevention measures are in place. Free public restrooms will be maintained, while waste collection and disposal will be efficiently managed.

An aerial view of Yến Stream in the Hương Sơn Landscape Complex. Visiting Hương Pagoda is more than just a sightseeing trip – it's a spiritual journey into a Buddhist land. — Photo thanhtra.com.vn

To ensure visitor safety, first aid stations will be established in busy areas such as Hương Tích Cave, the cable car stations, and in front of the Thiên Trù Pagoda. Ticket prices will be transparently posted and made available to all tourists.

Visitors are encouraged to maintain environmental cleanliness, behave politely and respectfully, avoid illegal activities while enjoying boat rides and refrain from littering.

By focusing on these measures, the festival aims to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

“The Hương Pagoda Festival aims to continue affirming the value of traditional festival culture and promote the significance of the Special National Relic Site of the Hương Sơn Complex. Additionally, it creates a joyful and festive atmosphere for the people and visitors at the beginning of the new spring," emphasised Deputy Chairman Cảnh.

In addition to the main Buddhist ritual festivities, tourists can immerse themselves in various activities, such as captivating performances of traditional Vietnamese cultural arts, including puppetry by artisans from Đại Nghĩa Town, the rhythmic allure of Mường ethnic gong performances in An Phú Commune and the soulful chèo (traditional opera) singing at local clubs.

The organising committee hopes that through the festival activities, they will contribute to raising awareness of future generations about the responsibility to participate in preserving and promoting cultural values closely linked to socio-economic development, while also affirming the cultural value of the Hương Pagoda Festival and the significance of the Hương Sơn scenic site – a Special National Relic – aligned with the potential and strengths for tourism development in Mỹ Đức District.

Pilgrims explore Hương Tích Cave in the Hương Sơn Landscape Complex, homes to a 1770 inscription by Lord Trịnh Sâm, which hails it as Việt Nam's most beautiful cave. — Photo truyenhinhdulich.vn

The Hương Sơn Landscape Complex is a stunning array of Buddhist pagodas, caves and temples. Built in the late 17th century, this complex boasts numerous pagodas, temples and caves adorned with marvelous stalactites and stalagmites. A highlight is the Hương Tích Cave, which features a carved inscription by Lord Trịnh Sâm from 1770, praising it as the most beautiful cave in the country.

Visiting Hương Pagoda is more than just a sightseeing trip – it's a spiritual journey into a Buddhist land. Visitors can marvel at the exquisite pagodas, temples and caves and participate in ceremonies to seek blessings from Buddha. —VNS