On the 6th day of Tet, Tien Pagoda puts on a brilliant appearance in the clear spring weather. Spring rain is drizzling, on the stone steps leading up to the pagoda, thousands of tourists move step by step. Among the bustling crowd are bright faces, eyes full of excitement.
Burning incense sticks, sincere prayers, quiet pilgrimage steps, all blend together in the chilly weather of the first days of the new year.
Inside the temple, incense sticks spread, bells rang out, and prayers were heard.
Along the road leading to the pagoda, shops are bustling with buyers and sellers. Lac Thuy specialties such as dried bamboo shoots, wild honey, and deer wine are displayed everywhere to serve tourists from all over.
In front of the temple gate, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (Hanoi) hugged her offerings tightly, walking and saying: “My family comes back here every year. Tien Pagoda is very sacred, we sincerely worship and hope for a year of peace and luck.”
According to a tourist from Hanoi, her family chose to go to Tien Pagoda not only because they could worship and visit the temple but also because of the majestic and mysterious cave system that attracts locals and tourists.
In the first days of the year, tourists flocked to the area, causing many tram drivers here to work at full capacity.
Sharing with reporters, Mr. An - an electric car driver who specializes in transporting passengers in the spiritual tourist complex of Chua Tien said: "I start transporting passengers from around 5am until late at night, and only rest when there are no more passengers for the day. There are days when I serve passengers from dawn until 2pm and still don't have time to rest for lunch."
According to this driver, in recent years, when the COVID-19 epidemic was controlled, tourists have returned to Tien Pagoda after many years of absence. The large number of visitors has created more jobs and a significant source of income for people around the area.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Dinh Ngoc Tan - Deputy of the Management Board of relic sites in Lac Thuy district said that at the opening ceremony of Tien Pagoda this year, the number of tourists flocking to the festival was quite large, estimated at about 15,000.
According to Mr. Tan, the day Tien Pagoda opens is also the day the cable car line connecting the spiritual triangle is launched.
The Huong Binh cable car project has a total length of nearly 3km, with a total investment of about 1,700 billion VND, connecting two localities: Phu Nghia commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province and Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi city; connecting festival areas such as Huong Pagoda area (Hanoi), Tien Pagoda (Hoa Binh) and Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam).
Accordingly, the cable car route will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily with preferential ticket prices applied from February 1, 2025 to February 15, 2025.
One-way standard ticket 150,000 VND/adult and 112,500 VND/child (under 140cm); round-trip standard ticket 210,000 VND/adult and 150,000 VND/child; one-way VIP ticket 187,500 VND/adult and 150,000 VND/child; round-trip VIP ticket 300,000 VND/adult and 225,000 VND/child.
"The cable car route is expected to be a bridge between spiritual tourist destinations and attract a large number of tourists and pilgrims to Tien Pagoda in the near future," said Mr. Tan.
