Buddhist festivals open

Thousands of Buddhists and visitors have arrived at the Huong and Bai Dinh pagodas to join the two largest spring festivals in the north which opened on February 2.

Thousands of Buddhists and visitors have arrived at the Huong and Bai Dinh pagodas to join the two largest spring festivals in the north which opened on February 2.

Thousands of visitors flocked to Huong Pagoda Festival on February 2

Huong Pagoda Festival, the longest-running festival in the country, opened at 9 am in My Duc District, Hanoi, attracting large crowds.

Huong Pagoda's chief monk, Thich Minh Hien beat the ceremonial drum to open the Huong Pagoda Festival 2017 on February 2.

The three-month festival takes place at the UNESCO world cultural heritage site which is famous for its stunning landscapes.

Buddhists prepared offerings in front of Huong Tich Cave at Huong Pagoda

Visitors to Huong Pagoda Festival can join in sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves as well as pray for health, prosperity, good luck and happiness.  

Many boats carrying early visitors to the festival at 2am.

According to vice chairman of My Duc District People's Committee, Nguyen Van Hau, who is head of the festival organising board, they received around 120,000 visitors to Huong Pagoda in three days before the festival officially opened.

"We’re ready to welcome more visitors from today when the festival opens," Hau said. "Security, hotels and restaurants, the cable car system, and some 4,500 boats have been upgraded for the festival.

The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival also opens at 9 am on February 2 in Ninh Binh Province.

Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh attended the opening ceremony of Bai Dinh Festival on February 2. Photo by nld.com

Pham Hong Bien, head of the communications department at Bai Dinh Pagoda said that preparations have been completed.

The organising board said the pagoda has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors each of the first few days of the Lunar New Year.

Bai Dinh Pagoda is part of the Trang An Landscape Complex, recently recognised as a world cultural and natural heritage site by UNESCO.

The pagoda is a complex of the original and newly built Buddhist temples on Bai Dinh Mountain.

The original 10th century Bai Dinh Pagoda (Bai Dinh Co Tu) is composed of temples worshipping Buddha, the Mountain God, and the Mother Goddess of the Forest. It lies about 800 metres from Tam The Temple of the new Bai Dinh Pagoda area.

The recent additions are considered the largest Buddhist temples complex in Vietnam and are home to items including the largest bronze Buddha statue, the largest bronze bell, and the largest number of Arhat statues.