Digitalization drives Huong Pagoda festival as visitors forecast to surge in 2026

THE HANOI TIMES — Digital tools are becoming a central feature of the 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival, helping authorities manage crowds, improve visitor experience and reduce environmental pressure.

Electronic ticketing, QR-code checks, AI cameras and a centralized control center aim to ease congestion at peak areas, limiting overcrowding that often leads to waste and pollution.

Visitor data collected by time and location allows managers to deploy cleaning crews in advance and handle waste more quickly in high-traffic zones.

Festival-goers can also access virtual guides and interpreters by scanning QR codes, marking a shift from traditional oversight to smart management focused on cleanliness and visitor comfort.

Officials say the green festival model extends beyond the first three peak months and supports year-round tourism development at Huong Pagoda.

Technology-backed administration is expected to improve festival quality as daily visitor numbers may reach 45,000 to 50,000 at peak times.

A comprehensive waste collection system will operate simultaneously on land and water routes, the two main transport corridors to the Huong Son scenic area.

Unlike previous years, when sanitation efforts focused mainly on post-peak periods, authorities plan continuous and preventive waste management throughout the festival.

Along Yen Stream, where boats operate throughout the day, dedicated teams will collect floating waste and manage household refuse to maintain water quality.

Officials aim to preserve a quiet pilgrimage setting where visitors can appreciate the area’s natural landscape.

Authorities are also reorganizing service points to curb encroachment, uncontrolled dumping and damage to the surrounding scenery.

Stricter oversight of stalls, business premises and public hygiene seeks to protect the environment and reinforce a civilized image for the festival.

Local officials describe environmental protection as a long-term community responsibility tied to heritage preservation and sustainable spiritual tourism.

With restored landscapes and cleaner surroundings, Huong Pagoda is positioning itself to expand eco-tourism, experiential tourism and cultural-spiritual offerings year-round.

These measures support plans to develop Huong Pagoda into a National Tourist Area by 2026 and prepare documentation for UNESCO World Heritage recognition by 2030.

The 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival will run from February 18 to May 11 and is expected to draw more than 20,000 visitors on opening day.

This year’s festival adopts a development approach described as sustainable, professional and modern.

Under the theme “Safety – Friendliness – Quality,” authorities aim to place visitors at the center while combining spiritual tradition with modern technology.

The festival covers the entire Huong Pagoda National Special Monument complex, spanning four main routes and about 20 temples, pagodas and caves.

Nguyen Thanh Loi, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Media Group, said the initiatives reflect local responsiveness to science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.

Security, traffic control, fire prevention and rescue measures will be enforced throughout the festival, he told a press conference on February 6.

Officials will act firmly against solicitation, price gouging, fraud, encroachment on heritage sites and behavior that harms the festival’s image.

Authorities will provide free parking for commercial vehicles and cars with 10 seats or more, while maintaining year-round visitor services.

From May to December 2026, the locality will develop cultural-spiritual, experiential, eco-tourism and adventure tourism products across all four routes.

Plans also include cultural, artistic and sporting events tied to occasions such as Buddha’s Birthday, the lotus season and the water lily season.

Promoting local cultural products and branding Huong Son’s specialty agricultural goods remains a priority to raise tourism value and create sustainable livelihoods.

In 2025, the festival attracted more than 500,000 visitors within its first month.