Huong Pagoda festivals to reopen on March 13

Safety regulations are undergoing in Perfume Pagoda

The festival must be organized in accordance with the city's COVID-19 preventive measures in public places, Vice Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee of Ha Noi Chu Xuan Dung .

Safety measures have been strengthened to those places, according to Tran Thi Van Anh, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Culture. The first day of the second lunar month (March 13) would see massive affluence of Buddhist followers to religious sites, thus local authorities should map out plans for any emergency.   

Earlier, relics, temples, religious establishments in the capital had been shut down as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic since February 16.

A number of relics and places of interest in Ha Noi such as Temple of Literature, Ngoc Son Temple, Tay Ho Temple reopened on the morning of March 8.

From March 2, the city allowed restaurants to reopen but only for takeaway and indoor service, but diners must ensure a distance of one meter among them and screens must be set up between seats. Dance club, bar, karaoke, coffee and sidewalk eateries are remain banned until further notices.

So far, Ha Noi has gone 25 days with zero local transmission.

Around 60 kilometers southwest of Ha Noi, Perfume Pagoda is one among the largest and unique religious sites in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, old Ha Tay (or enlarged Hanoi), right banks of Day River, northern Việt Nam. This pagoda is also one of the most famous pagodas and temples in Viet Nam.

It comprises a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Perfume Mount (Huong Son), scattering alongside the mountain up to the peak. The complex’s center is right inside Huong Tich cavern (or in other words, Inside Pagoda). Huge numbers of pilgrims flock to the site during Perfume Pagoda festival, which begins in the middle of the first lunar month and lasts until the middle of the third one (or from February till March) in order to pray for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. A wide range of traditional cultural activities is incorporated. Perfume pagoda is not only a religious site, but a great sight-seeing spot in Vietnam as well.

By Khanh Phuong