Story: Huong Quynh
Photos: Nguyen Thanh Hai
Start the New Year with a pilgrimage to Huong Tich Pagoda, long revered as one of Vietnam’s most sacred places.
Mount Hong Linh has long been known as a “majestic cluster of mountains” – a range of 99 interconnected peaks that form a grand, layered, and sacred landscape in the North Central region. In ancient texts and classical poetry, Hong Linh is often described as a mountain range that gathers spiritual energy, closely bound to the cultural and historical depth of this region. On this range’s most beautiful peak stands a pagoda praised as “the finest in Hoan Chau” (the old Nghe region): Huong Tich Pagoda, a celebrated scenic and spiritual site of ancient Vietnam.
Visitors and locals visit the Huong Tich pagoda complex to gaze upon mountains and rivers and enjoy an atmosphere of quiet spirituality. Amid the drifting incense smoke, legends passed down through generations seem to come alive, opening pathways of reflection into the primal realm of folk beliefs. According to legend, Huong Tich Pagoda was founded during the Tran dynasty, around the 13th century, to worship Princess Dieu Thien – who attained enlightenment through ascetic practice and transformed into Guan Yin (Quan Am). With a thousand eyes and a thousand hands, Quan Am would appear to save all beings.
A history of destruction and rebirth
Historical records reveal that the architecture of Huong Tich Pagoda was damaged by repeated fires from the 17th to the 19th centuries. A major blaze in 1885 destroyed most of the pagoda’s artifacts. In 1901, according to some accounts, a local official called upon the community to rebuild the pagoda on its original foundations. Through subsequent restorations, Huong Tich Pagoda has retained its ancient, dignified atmosphere and remains a familiar pilgrimage destination for generations of locals and visitors from afar.
On a deeper cultural level, Huong Tich Pagoda symbolizes resilience and continuity. Having endured wars, natural disasters, and historical upheavals, the pagoda stands as proof that the culture and faith of the people of the Nghe region may be tested, but are not easily eroded. In the collective consciousness, Huong Tich is not merely a place to visit, but a spiritual home to which people return in memory, even if they live far from their homeland.
Surrounding Thuong (Upper) Pagoda – the central area of the complex – is a system of shrines, hermitages, temples, and sanctuaries associated with many folk legends. Thuong Pagoda no longer sits at the mountain’s summit but was relocated to the mid-slope of Mount Huong Tich, with a two-bay structure. The inner bay enshrines the Buddha and displays many precious wooden statues. The outer bay holds ritual objects and serves as a space for devotees to worship.
Behind Thuong Pagoda lies Huong Tich Cave, home to a statue of Guan Yin Buddha seated on a lotus throne, along with several mother-and-child figures. Locals refer to this site as the Shrine of Lady Buddha and recall many stories of Princess Dieu Thien attaining enlightenment and protecting the people.
In the past, Huong Tich could only be reached by foot, following narrow mountain paths. Today, visitors may choose from a variety of routes. From the foothills, a walk or electric shuttle ride of about five kilometers runs through a cool green landscape of whispering pine forests, murmuring streams, and birdsong – a gentle symphony of the mountains. Another option is a boat ride of around two kilometers across Nha Duong Reservoir, followed by a walk of more than one kilometer and a cable car ascent to the pagoda. Those wishing to save time may take an electric shuttle to the cable car station and walk the short final stretch. Whichever route one chooses, the journey to Huong Tich offers sweeping views of Ha Tinh’s graceful natural scenery – especially lovely in the spring, when tender green shoots and countless flowers burst into bloom.
Each year, the opening ceremony of the Huong Tich Pagoda Festival takes place on the sixth day of the first lunar month, marking the start of Ha Tinh’s tourism season. The main festival is held on the eighteenth day of the second lunar month, traditionally believed to be the day Princess Dieu Thien transformed into Guan Yin Buddha. On this occasion, people who hail from the Nghe region return from far and wide to embark on a pilgrimage to Huong Tich, seeking the Dharma amid the clear air of spring.
Moss-covered stone steps and clouds drifting over the slopes of Mount Hong Linh create a contemplative and serene spring scene that settles quietly in visitors’ hearts.
