Huong Pagoda festival blends heritage, technology and serene pilgrimages
Set amid limestone peaks and sacred caves, the 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival opens with renewed order and digital upgrades, inviting pilgrims and travelers to experience one of northern Vietnam’s most revered spiritual journeys in a setting that balances tradition, tranquility and modern management.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Huong Pagoda Tourism Festival 2026 opened on February 22, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors under the theme “Spring Pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda”.
Many domestic and foreign tourists had been present at Yen Stream since 3 AM to reach Huong Pagoda. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times
Running from February 18 to May 11, this year’s festival introduces free entrance tickets through February 22, free car parking, reorganized traffic flows and expanded digital management.
Electronic ticketing, QR-code entry control, AI camera systems and an operations center are now in use to manage peak crowds.
Motorboats on the Yen Stream are now limited to emergency use, restoring a quieter pilgrimage atmosphere. Hand-rowed boats dominate the route, offering a slower, more reflective journey. Officials have also cleared unauthorized vendors and required public price listings.
The performance opens Huong Pagoda Festival 2026. Photo: Viet Trung/The Hanoi Times
These measures aim to reinforce the image of one of Vietnam’s largest and longest-running festivals, said Tran Duc Hai, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People’s Council of Huong Son Commune.
“We seek to maintain order, preserve heritage, enhance visitor experience and promote sustainable development, gradually building Huong Son into a national-level tourist destination,” Hai said.
Bui Van Trieu, Director of the Huong Son Scenic Area Management Board, said the site welcomed nearly 136,000 visitors during February 17 and February 21, up 138% year-on-year, with further increases expected following the official opening.
Local authorities are developing alternative routes to ease congestion and encourage longer stays, including the Tuyet Son route, positioned as a complementary destination to support sustainable tourism, he said.
The picturesque scenery of Yen stream in the rain. Photo: Phu Le/The Hanoi Times
Spanning the Huong Pagoda National Special Monument complex, with four main routes and about 20 temples, pagodas and caves dedicated to the Buddha, Huong Pagoda remains northern Vietnam’s largest pilgrimage site and a hallmark of Hanoi’s spiritual tourism.
The site is expected to gain recognition as a national tourism area by 2026 and is preparing documentation for submission to UNESCO by 2030 for World Cultural and Natural Heritage status.
Vuong Trong Dao, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Huong Son Commune, said Tuyet Son will receive infrastructure upgrades and improved services. Authorities plan to work with travel firms to design tours suited to diverse domestic and international travelers.
“We will standardize tour guide services, expand digitalization and develop community-based tourism, agriculture and seasonal experiences to create a year-round destination and showcase another dimension of Huong Pagoda,” Dao said.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung (sitting third from left) attends the opening ceremony of the Huong Pagoda Festival 2026. Photo: Hoai Nam/The Hanoi Times
While most visitors follow the traditional route through Yen Stream, Trinh Temple, Thien Tru Pagoda and Huong Tich Cave, the lesser-known Tuyet Son route offers a more secluded and immersive experience.
The Tuyet Son journey begins in Phu Yen village along the Tuyet Son Stream. A 1.5-kilometer boat ride winds past limestone peaks and rice fields before reaching Bao Dai Pagoda at the mountain’s foot.
Built in 1694 during the reign of King Le Hy Tong by Princess Hoang Thi Ngoc Huong, the pagoda marks the starting point for a trekking trail through ancient apricot orchards, vegetable plots and old forest trees toward Tuyet Son Mountain.
From the 10th lunar month, when white apricot blossoms blanket Huong Son forest, the route attracts hikers and photographers.
For Tuyet Son route, tourists travel by boats on 1.5km journey along the stream. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times
Inside Ngoc Long Cave, stalactites form dramatic shapes around a Buddhist sanctuary on one side and a Mother Goddess shrine on the other, including a bas-relief of Princess Ngoc Huong carved into the rock wall.
The Tuyet Son route also introduces visitors to rural life. Travelers can pick apricots, learn cultivation methods, prepare preserved apricots, harvest yam tubers and enjoy simple meals of wild greens, free-range chicken and salted apricots.
Ancient frangipani trees, estimated at 300 to 400 years old, line the grounds of Tuyet Son Pagoda. Each spring, their blossoms fill the air with fragrance, prompting local authorities to consider launching a Frangipani Flower Festival to attract more visitors to the area.
