The Huong Pagoda Festival, the biggest one in the north, opens on February 3 or the 6th day of the first lunar month, It is expected to welcome an estimated 20,000 visitors on the opening day.

The folk performance kicks off the Huong Pagoda Festival 2025. Photo: Van Bien/ The Hanoi Times

A major highlight of the festival is Cultural Tourism Week, which showcases traditional art performances and folk games.

This year, boat and ferry services on Suoi Yen or Canary Stream have been set up to accommodate the large crowds, while tickets to the pagoda grounds are embedded with a QR code that can be used for all festival services, including entrance and boats.

Nguyen Manh Quyen, Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, handed over the decision to designate the Huong Son Complex (Huong Pagoda) as a special national relic and city-level tourist area to Dang Van Trieu, Chairman of the My Duc District People's Committee.

On its first day, the Huong Pagoda Festival went off without a hitch, allowing tourists to enjoy the spring atmosphere, and explore the scenic beauty of the area.

The Huong Pagoda Complex, located about 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, offers visitors a sense of being transported to a fairyland. Spread over 4,900 hectares, the complex is a cluster of pagodas, temples and caves adorned with stunning stalactites and stalagmites, all dedicated to Buddha and deities associated with local agricultural traditions.

Yen Stream, Huong Pagoda, My Duc District, Hanoi. Photo: Tran Thanh Viet

Constructed in the latter part of the 17th century and undergoing multiple renovations, the Huong Son complex maintains its historical and cultural value, adding to Vietnam's rich and varied Buddhist legacy.

The Huong Pagoda Festival traditionally runs from the 6th day of the first lunar month to the end of the third lunar month. As the largest and longest traditional festival in Hanoi and Vietnam, it offers a deeply spiritual experience. Pilgrims travel to the Huong Pagoda complex to visit the pagodas, temples and caves, and participate in ceremonies to seek the blessings of Buddha.