Bronze pagoda on Yen Tu mountain

Ms Nguyen Thu Ha of Long Bien district, Hanoi, says she visits pagodas not only to pray, but to enjoy peaceful moments when life's hustle and bustle are forgotten: “Every lunar new year, I visit a pagoda near my house and then Phuc Khanh and Tran Quoc pagoda, and Tay Ho temple. Visiting pagodas makes me feel peaceful and calm. We pray for health, peace, family happiness, good academic results for the children, and good luck for our business.”

In rural Vietnam, pagodas, temples, and communal houses are not far from one another. Local people often make a tour of these places at a time in the early days of spring. 78-year old Nguyen Trong Vong is a caretaker of the Dam Temple in Cau Giay district: “I'm the first person to open the door of the temple in the new year. The locals come here to worship the village genie and extend New Year greetings to each other.”

Breaking dawn seen from the top of Yen Tu Mountain

Huong pagoda in Hanoi and Yen Tu pagoda in Quang Ninh are the most popular destinations these days attracting millions of visitors. Since the first day of the lunar New Year, Yen Tu has attracted 130,000 visitors. The Yen Tu pagoda festival will begin on Sunday and is expected to welcome tens of thousands of pilgrims. Le Trong Thanh is Deputy Director of the Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company: “At the opening of the festival, there will be 7 processions carrying local specialties as offerings to King Monk Tran Nhan Tong. 100 troupes will participate in the event. Preparations for the festival and Quang Ninh National Tourism Year 2018 have been completed.”