(VOVworld)- It’s has long been popular for Vietnamese people to attend festivals and visit pagodas to pray for good luck after the Tet holiday. Many travel companies have introduced attractive pilgrimage and festival tours.

Hoa Lu

Festivals in Vietnam are diverse. Folklore researchers have counted more than 500 major festivals scattered throughout the country. These span the four seasons, but most of them take place in spring. The festivals reflect the richness of Vietnamese culture and attract both domestic and foreign tourists. Thu Huong of the Khanh Sinh Tourism Company says it’s a tradition for Vietnamese people to visit pagodas during the first days of the lunar year to pray for a good year. “After Tet, many Vietnamese people visit pagodas to pray for good luck, so  our company offers tours of Yen Tu, Bai Dinh, Hoa Lu, Hung Kings’ temple, and Huong pagoda. They are daily tours that also include a tour guide and food services. Tours of Huong, Bai Dinh and Yen Tu pagodas are very popular among foreign tourists. Visiting Hoa Lu, offen called a Ha Long Bay on land, tourists enjoy boat trips through caves and rice fields”, said Ms Huong.

During the early days of the new lunar new, Khanh Sinh company has received orders of tours of Huong pagoda, Yen Tu, Tran temple, Bai Dinh pagoda, Hung Kings Temple and Con Son Kiep Bac. These tours are often 1 to 2-days long and are packed on the weekends. Ms Huong says: “Tourists prefer the pagodas which are less than 150 km from Hanoi so that they can leave Hanoi at 7 in the morning and return home before 8. Foreign tourists are very interested in festival tours as they can explore the Vietnamese culture and enjoy a festive atmosphere”.

Huong pagoda festival

The Huong or Perfume pagoda is famous for its festival, which begins on the 6^th day of the first lunar month and continues through the third lunar month. With the theme "the beauty of Vietnamese traditional culture", the festival marks the beginning of the National Tourism Year of the Red River Delta and Hai Phong. The Perfume Pagoda is actually a collection of pagodas and temples in the heart of a beautiful mountain landscape, covered with lush vegetation. Monk Thich Minh Hien, Head of the Huong pagoda says: “Previously, the sixth day of the first lunar month was the date of the opening of the forest, when people organized a ceremony to go to the forest in Huong Son commune which houses the Perfume Pagoda. Nowadays, this date has become the opening day of the Huong pagoda festival. During the 3-month long festival, a lot of pilgrims visit the pagoda. Last year, the figure was a record of 1.5 million visitors. It’s a tradition for people in the north to visit pagodas during the first lunar month and discover the areas’ picturesque landscapes. Huong, Yen Tu and Tay Thien pagodas are the most popular destinations”.

Yen Tu

Yen Tu is one of the largest pagodas in northern Vietnam. Yen Tu festival takes place from the 10^th day of the first lunar month to the 15^th day of the third lunar month.  Pilgrims to Yen Tu not only pray for good luck but also make a pilgrimage to the largest center of Buddhism in Vietnam. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy Director of Tung Lam travel company, says: “80% of visitors to Yen Tu are return visitors and the other 20% are newcomers. We provide newcomers them with guide services through telephones or travel companies. We advise them to avoid peak hours and weekends. Along the road to the pagoda, we have installed several signage”.

Visiting pagodas in early spring has become a beautiful tradition in Vietnam. It represents Vietnamese people’s wish for favorable weather and a peaceful and happy life.

Lan Anh