Pilgrims, tourists hit Perfume Pagoda in droves

[청석]

(23-02-2007)

Pilgrims’ progress: Dancers perform at the opening of the Huong Pagoda festival in Ha Tay Province yesterday morning. The festival attracted thousands of pilgrims and tourists from across the nation. — VNA/VNS Photo Trong Duc

The Huong Pagoda Festival, the nation’s longest and most elaborate annual festival, opened yesterday morning in the northern province of Ha Tay, attracting thousands of pilgrims and tourists from across the nation.

The Venerable Thich Minh Hien rung the bell to officially open the festival at the Huong Pagoda, also known as the Perfume Pagoda, on the sixth day of the first lunar month. The opening ceremony began at the Thien Tru Pagoda and featured a traditional Thien Thu Quan The Am performance with the participation of 32 Buddhist teenagers.

The Venerable Thich Minh Hien said this year saw improvements to the pagoda’s visitor services and tourist infrastructure to cater to the large influx of visitors.

The Huong Pagoda festival this year saw a reduction in traffic jams for thousands of pilgrims and tourists thanks to measures adopted by the festival’s organising committee to restore and repair infrastructure outside and inside the Huong Pagoda, including upgrades to the road from Yen Wharf to Thien Tru Pagoda and Hoi Xa Bridge. The pagoda’s cable cars system was also improved.

Entry fees during the festival this year are VND22,500 per person with an additional VND20,000 boat fee to get to the pagoda. These fares are applicable to both domestic and international tourists.

Thousands of visitors have already visited the pagoda during the first five days of the new lunar year. On the fourth day, an estimated 26,000 tourists came to the pagoda. On the fifth day, the number of tourists was at 18,000, while yesterday, the number increased to 30,000.

Despite the addition of 12 cable cars, bringing the total number of cable cars to 45, tickets for the cars were sold out on the fifth day of the lunar new year.

The organising committee is expecting 40,000 tourists this year from across the country and abroad to participate in the Huong Pagoda Festival, one of the most important pilgrimages in the north.

"With our preparations, we expect to assure tourists and pilgrims from all over the nation the most joyful festival," said Le Van Sang, head of the festival’s organising committee.

The Huong Pagoda Festival will conclude at the end of the third lunar month (May 15) in My Duc District, Ha Tay Province.

The province of Ha Tay has submitted Huong Pagoda, located in My Duc District, about 60km south-west of Ha Noi, for designation by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.

Surrounded by vast green rice paddies, the site is a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tich Mountain, amidst lakes and grottoes.

In addition, pilgrims can also visit the festival of Co Loa Citadel in Ha Noi’s dong Anh District and see a magic crossbow bestowed to the people by Kim Quy (The Golden Turtle Genie). The festival will last until the first full moon day of the year, with many traditional games and art performances. — VNS

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