Around 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, Perfume Pagoda is one among the largest and unique religious sites in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, old Ha Tay (or enlarged Hanoi), right banks of Day River, northern Vietnam. This pagoda is also one of the most famous pagodas and temples in Vietnam.

The Perfume Pagoda, known locally as Chua Huong or ‘inner temple’, is at the centre of a very revered and sacred site featuring a maze of mainly Buddhist temples built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tich.  At the heart of this complex lies the Perfume Temple or Perfume Pagoda in the Huong Tich Cave.

PRIVATE TOUR DAY TRIP TO PERFUME PAGODA FROM HANOI

There are many pagodas to visit, each offering a different shrine, most of which are Buddhist although one or two are animist. The Perfume Pagoda attracts pilgrims and tourists seeking good luck from the stalagmites and stalactites inside the cave which have been named according to the individual blessing they can bestow. Dun Tien offers prosperity and Nui Co offers the chance of giving birth to a girl whilst Dun Gao translates as a ‘rice stack’ to those hoping for a bountiful harvest. It’s well worth taking time to stop and enjoy the view en-route to the temple as the scenery is very interesting, dotted with fruit trees including apricots and medicinal herbs grown by local farmers.

These days, the Vietnamese believe that Huong Son is Buddha’s Heaven due to its sacredness and 100% natural works of beauty. Quite a few tourists would like to come back this mysterious and sacred mountain annually for religious reasons on the one hand, and on the other hand, for the enchanting natural landscapes.