It seemed that all roads led to the Huong (Perfume) Pagoda on February 24, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Asmany as 50,000 people flocked to the holy site in Hanoi's suburban MyDuc district on the opening day of the increasingly popular three-monthlong Huong Pagoda Festival.
At precisely 9am, Venerable Thich Minh Hien, head monk of the pagoda, began a ritual ceremony.
"Overthe last few decades, the festival has become a favourite spiritual andcultural activity of Vietnamese people, and even attracts foreigntourists," he said, estimating the number of opening day attendees at50,000.
The annual festival, the longest-such event in the country, opens on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Asit welcomes the increasingly large number of pilgrims and tourists, thefestival's organising board has been trying to offer better services,as also pay heed to the pilgrims' sensitivities.
"This year, wehave strictly banned the display of raw meat by restaurants and othereateries, which had annoyed many people in previous years. We willstrictly fine violations, confiscate the meat and even close theestablishment," said Nguyen Van Hau, Vice Chairman of the district'sPeople's Committee.
The festival's organising board has also setup a market-watch team that will carry out regular checks to ensure thatrestaurants and other eateries maintain food safety and hygiene.
Toprotect the Buddha statues and other objects of worships, pilgrims thisyear are not allowed to light incense sticks and joss papers.
Althoughthe festival officially opened on February 24, tens of thousands ofpeople have headed to the pagoda since the second day of Lunar New Year,which this year fell on February 20.
The price of admission to the pagoda has remained unchanged at 85,000 VND, including boat transportation on the Yen Stream.
Around 5,000 rowing boats are docked at the Duc pier on the stream, ready to transport visitors to the main shrines.
The boat ride itself is a huge attraction as it travels through striking mountain scenery.
Builtbetween the 18th and 19th centuries, the Huong Pagoda complex features alarge number of shrines and natural caves filled with marvellousstalactites and stalagmites.
Located at about 60km from downtownHanoi, the pagoda is one of the most famous cultural and spiritualtourism destinations in the north of the country.
The festival, which runs until mid-May, is expected to attract about 1.5 million visitors this year.-VNA
Asmany as 50,000 people flocked to the holy site in Hanoi's suburban MyDuc district on the opening day of the increasingly popular three-monthlong Huong Pagoda Festival.
At precisely 9am, Venerable Thich Minh Hien, head monk of the pagoda, began a ritual ceremony.
"Overthe last few decades, the festival has become a favourite spiritual andcultural activity of Vietnamese people, and even attracts foreigntourists," he said, estimating the number of opening day attendees at50,000.
The annual festival, the longest-such event in the country, opens on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Asit welcomes the increasingly large number of pilgrims and tourists, thefestival's organising board has been trying to offer better services,as also pay heed to the pilgrims' sensitivities.
"This year, wehave strictly banned the display of raw meat by restaurants and othereateries, which had annoyed many people in previous years. We willstrictly fine violations, confiscate the meat and even close theestablishment," said Nguyen Van Hau, Vice Chairman of the district'sPeople's Committee.
The festival's organising board has also setup a market-watch team that will carry out regular checks to ensure thatrestaurants and other eateries maintain food safety and hygiene.
Toprotect the Buddha statues and other objects of worships, pilgrims thisyear are not allowed to light incense sticks and joss papers.
Althoughthe festival officially opened on February 24, tens of thousands ofpeople have headed to the pagoda since the second day of Lunar New Year,which this year fell on February 20.
The price of admission to the pagoda has remained unchanged at 85,000 VND, including boat transportation on the Yen Stream.
Around 5,000 rowing boats are docked at the Duc pier on the stream, ready to transport visitors to the main shrines.
The boat ride itself is a huge attraction as it travels through striking mountain scenery.
Builtbetween the 18th and 19th centuries, the Huong Pagoda complex features alarge number of shrines and natural caves filled with marvellousstalactites and stalagmites.
Located at about 60km from downtownHanoi, the pagoda is one of the most famous cultural and spiritualtourism destinations in the north of the country.
The festival, which runs until mid-May, is expected to attract about 1.5 million visitors this year.-VNA
