The festival lasts until March 25th of the lunar calendar. This year, the free entrance ticket until the end of the 6th day of Tet also contributes to increasing the number of visitors. Right from dawn, despite the drizzling spring rain, thousands of people and tourists were present at Duc wharf to pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda.
Previously, the road to the relic site was congested from the previous afternoon, showing the great attraction of the spiritual festival at the beginning of the year. According to the Organizing Committee, from the 1st to the 5th day of Tet, Huong Pagoda welcomed nearly 136,000 visitors, a sharp increase compared to the previous year. At times, the area of Thien Tru Pagoda and Huong Tich cave fell into a state of overload.
The organization work has many adjustments towards civilization and safety. Only a few motorboats are arranged to regulate and handle emergencies; the rest use hand-rowing boats to keep the space peaceful.
At Duc wharf, boats are numbered and arranged clearly, limiting the situation of soliciting. Each boat is equipped with life jackets and rain umbrellas; boat owners are assigned shifts and rotated to serve according to general operations to ensure fairness.
The opening ceremony of the Perfume Pagoda festival took place at 8:30 am. Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of Huong Son Commune People's Committee Le Van Trang said that this year's festival is organized in an innovative direction, focusing on safety, friendliness and improving service quality, while creating a sustainable development foundation for the relic site. Huong Son identifies cultural tourism development as a key task, aiming to build a civilized and modern locality, making tourism a key economic sector.
At the opening ceremony, the art program was elaborately staged with many special performances such as festival drums, dry puppetry... Performances of songs praising Hanoi, Huong Pagoda and Vietnamese Buddhism contributed to creating a solemn and bustling atmosphere during the festival.
This year, festival management has many clear innovations. The locality has dismantled and renovated 155 inappropriate business locations, returning about 6,500m2 of space to the relic site.
Electronic ticket sales, online tickets, QR code control, and installation of AI cameras to support traffic diversion are being implemented synchronously. The organizers also established a rapid response team to receive and process information through the hotline. In particular, on the opening day, visitors are allowed to park their cars for free.
The space from Thien Tru Pagoda to Huong Tich cave has been expanded and neatly arranged, creating favorable conditions for pilgrimage and sightseeing. Many tourists commented that this year's festival is organized more professionally, orderly and civilized than before.
According to local leaders, the overall plan for the special national relic site of Huong Pagoda has been completed, creating a legal basis for management and investment attraction. The city plans to allocate resources of about 2,000 billion VND to invest in infrastructure, preserve and promote the long-term value of relics.
The preparation and organization of the 2026 Perfume Pagoda Festival in an innovative direction is not only aimed at ensuring a safe and quality festival season but also towards the goal of sustainable development, preserving the unique cultural and spiritual values of the Huong Son complex in the coming years.
