Heritage preservation associated with tourism development
Huong Pagoda (Huong Son) is a large cultural and religious complex of Vietnam, including about 20 pagodas, temples and communal houses, distributed in Yen stream valley, Huong Son commune, Hanoi. The center of the complex is Huong Pagoda (Trong Pagoda) located in Huong Tich cave, on the right bank of the Day River. With special historical, cultural and landscape values, Huong Son was ranked as a National Special Relic in 2017 and is 1 of 21 National Tourist Areas of Vietnam.
This year, the Perfume Pagoda tourist festival takes place from February 18, 2026 to the end of May 11, 2026 (ie from the 2nd day of the first lunar month to the 25th day of the 3rd year of Binh Ngo). The opening ceremony is held on February 22, 2026 (January 6th). The festival space covers the entire relic complex, creating a unique cultural and religious space, rich in historical value and natural landscape.
Mr. Tran Duc Hai - Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Huong Son commune - said: "Organizing the 2026 festival not only serves seasonal sightseeing and worship activities but also aims to build Huong Pagoda into a tourist destination operating year-round, with diverse and high-quality products, closely linking heritage preservation and local socio-economic development".
Mr. Hai emphasized that the strategic goal is to, through the quality of festival organization, continue to affirm the outstanding value of the Huong Son complex, as a basis for submitting to the Government for recognition of Huong Pagoda as a National Tourist Area in 2026, and towards completing the dossier to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage in 2030.
Towards developing Perfume Pagoda tourism year-round
Preparations for the 2026 Perfume Pagoda Tourism Festival were deployed early, focusing on reviewing and embellishing service points to suit the festival space, restoring the natural landscape to the relic, which is identified as a key task, associated with building a common identity with cultural and spiritual depth typical of Perfume Pagoda.
The locality promotes infrastructure investment, application of information technology and digital transformation in festival management. Telecommunications infrastructure is strengthened, AI camera systems are installed at key points, contributing to improving operational efficiency, ensuring security, safety and transparency.
The management of entrance tickets, boat tickets using QR codes, electronic ticket sales, online ticket sales, automatic ticket control, operation of operating centers and hotlines to receive feedback from tourists shows a clear shift from traditional management methods to smart management, taking tourist experience as the center.
Mr. Hai added that the management of services, eateries, and premises has been tightened; resolutely handling acts of touting, price gouging, trade fraud, and encroachment on relic space. Not stopping at the traditional festival season, the 2026 plan clearly defines the development orientation of Perfume Pagoda tourism year-round. From May to December, the locality focuses on building cultural - spiritual tourism products, experiential tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism on all four relic routes; organizing cultural, artistic, and sports activities associated with Buddha's Birthday, lotus and water lily season, thereby increasing the attractiveness of destinations, creating sustainable livelihoods for local people.
