Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong)

This is not just one temple but a cluster of temples taking advantage of the beautiful, mysterious river valley scenery at the bottom of Huong son or Perfume Mountain.

The first temple on the site was Huong Tich built at the end of the 17th Century by a monk looking for enlightenment. This highly decorated pagoda of is set into a huge grotto full of stalagmites and stalactites, all which have significance in the story of the temple.

Between February and March Buddhists gather to the region’s pagodas for the Chua Huong festival. The only way to get to the temples is on the scenic route along the river, which winds slowly and gracefully among steep limestone mountains, ringed by rice paddies and flat grasslands pocked with temples, and can be congested at this time of year (the trip in a narrow boat usually takes around 45 mins.). Pilgrims usually spend three days travelling between and praying at each temple. As well as celebrating the beauty of the spot, the festival is also supposedly a good time for young people to meet the loves of their lives…

Climbing uphill for about an hour on flat, slippery stones which were laid tile-like a thousand of years ago will take you to the main grotto of Huong Tich.

2 / 5 Review by editor World Reviewer Staff

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