The Huong Pagoda Festival officially opened in Hanoi’s My Duc district on February 5 or the sixth day of the lunar New Year, with the attendance of about 50,000 pilgrims.
Pilgrims and tourists pass by Yen Spring as they flock to the Huong Pagoda Festival. — VNA Photo Thanh Tung
Going to Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey into Buddhist Land – where the Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life.
Sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves are the main attractions at the Huong pagoda festival, in addition to ceremonies to ask favours from Lord Buddha.
Pilgrims and Buddhists present offerings in the opening ceremony. — VNA Photo Vu Sinh
Built in the late 17th century, Huong Pagoda has a large number of pagodas, temples and caverns filled with marvelous stalactites and stalagmites, about 60km from downtown Hanoi.
Art performances open the Huong Pagoda Festival. — VNA Photo Thanh Tung
The Huong Tich cavern has the autograph of Lord Trinh Sam in 1770, describing the cavern as the most beautiful cave in the country.
Visitors worship in Huong Tich cavern. — VNA Photo Vu Sinh
The organising board estimated that about 180,000 tourists have flocked to Huong Pagoda over the past four days.
The same day, at the Soc Son Temple Relic Site in Hanoi ’s Soc Son district, the Giong Festival also took place to commemorate Saint Giong, who legend says turned from a child to a giant overnight to fight against invaders in the past.
In Me Linh district of the capital city, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan attended a ceremony to mark the 1,974 anniversary of Trung Sisters’ Uprising and open the Trung Sisters’ Temple Festival 2014. -VNA