Perfume Pagoda

Perfume Pagoda is famous not only for its scenic landscape but also for its sacredness in the religious culture of Vietnamese people. Unlike other spiritual sites, Perfume Pagoda possesses a good combination of temples, pagodas, moutains and forest; or in other words, a vast landscape complex with harmony of nature and artificial construction. Passing historical up and down over multiple centuries, the Pagoda has carved its image in the mind and the heart of Vietnamese people, who are looking for a peace in soul and put their belief in sacred Buddhism.

Perfume Pagoda is located in Huong Son (Perfume mountain) 70 km southwest of Hanoi. Pefume Pagoda is not one temple but a cluster of temples and shrines in the general vicinity of Huong Son. According to the book, Huong Son Thien Tru Pha, Huong Tich temple was built during the reign of Le Chinh Hoa (1680-1705), by a monk who happened on the site on his way to search for enlightenment. Other shrines and temples were later built in this area to take advantage of the beautiful scenery in this area.

The Perfume Pagoda is one of the highlights of the Hanoi area and one of the most important religious sites in Buddhist Vietnam. Every spring, after the Vietnamese New Year, thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims come here to pray for all the health and prosperity. The pagoda itself is built into limestone cliffs and can only be reached by boat and foot, as there are no roads into this area. You will glide along scenic waterways and walk up steep mountain paths visiting the pagodas and temples that were built in this area over the last centuries.

Perfume pagoda has a long history in Vietnamese literature. This temple, its name, has been a theme of many songs, topic of poetry, used in literary works as well as backdrops for paintings. The uniqueness of Huong Son is that the mountains, river and forest appears like an oasis for buddhists in the middle of the great plains of northern Vietnam. This location truly incorporates all the elements of beauty that is often used in Eastern philosophy and arts.