Where is the Perfume Pagoda Festival and how long does it last?

Perfume Pagoda Festival is one of the festivals in Vietnam, held at the Perfume Pagoda (or Huong Son) scenic area located in Huong Son commune, My Duc district, Hanoi. The Huong Pagoda Scenic Area is a cultural and religious complex consisting of dozens of temples worshiping Buddha, several temples worshiping gods, communal houses, and agricultural beliefs. The center of the cluster of temples and pagodas in this region is the Perfume Pagoda located in the Huong Tich Cave also known as the Inner Pagoda. This is a major festival held every year, attracting a large number of Buddhists across the country to participate in pilgrimage.

Perfume Pagoda Festival is associated with the folk belief of worshiping Lord Ba: According to folk legend, in the past, Princess Dieu Thien (customarily known as Lord Ba is the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara) came to the Huong Son mountain region to meditate. He practiced for 9 years then attained enlightenment and became a Buddha to save sentient beings (that day is called Buddha's birthday on February 19 of the lunar calendar). This is also the middle of spring so hundreds of flowers bloom, the grass is green, and the air is cool.

In the third month of the year Canh Dan (1770), Lord Tinh Do Vuong Trinh Sam toured Tran Son Nam with his officials. The Lord's family entered Huong Tich cave to burn incense to admire the scenery and put on the cliff of the cave entrance the five words "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong". Huong Tich Cave is already a sacred place, and it is praised by God as "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong", so it is even more favorable to people's hearts. Because Huong Tich Cave worships Avalokiteshvara Buddha, it is the spiritual support of the people to pray for peace and all good things.