In the first month of the lunar calendar, Vietnamese people traditionally go to sanctuaries to pray for good health and prosperity. Pilgrimage tourism is becoming a nice traditional feature and this is also an attractive tourist product to international tourists.
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Vinh Nghiem Pagoda |
Stillness of sacred places and incense rising into the sky take people’s sensation back to the real ego of life, wanting to escape daily stresses and miseries to find peace and precious silence for their souls. Therefore, sanctuaries offer charming tourist products such as souvenirs or vegetarian food and other offerings for tourists to practice their relief and make donations. It is interesting for tourists to burn incense or release a pigeon or a fish to do charity.
In the South, each province has famous pagodas such as Vinh Nghiem, Ong or Giang Lam pagodas in HCMC, Dai Giac, Long Thien and Buu Long pagodas in Dong Nai, Ong and Ba pagodas in Binh Duong or Thien Vien Truc Lam, Thien Vuong Co Sat and Linh Phuoc pagodas in Dalat City.
In the Mekong Delta, tourists can visit Chua Xu Lady Temple, Thoai Ngoc Hau Temple in Chau Doc, Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho City, Hang (Cave) Pagoda in Tra Vinh or Thach Dong and Tam Bao in Ha Tien Town.
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Thien Mu Pagoda |
Central Vietnam is famous for Thien Mu Pagoda, Truc Lam Bach Ma Zen Monastery in Hue City, Long Son Pagoda, Cham Towers in Nha Trang City, Linh Son Truong Tho in Phan Thiet City, and especially Linh Ung Pagoda on the peak of Ba Na Mountain in Danang City.
Making pilgrimage tours to the North, tourists can visit But Thap Pagoda built in the seventh century in Bac Ninh Province or Tran Dynasty Temple in Nam Dinh. In Hanoi, tourists can visit the Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh and Ngoc Son temples. Especially, in Quang Ninh Province, Yen Tu Mountain is much renowned as a Buddhist land of Vietnam where tourists discover elegance and outstanding ancient architecture of many pagodas and temples and contemplate splendid landscapes around.
The highlight of the pilgrimage tours to the North is the tour to Huong Pagoda to join the Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi. This year, the festival runs through March and currently, hundreds of boats in various sizes every day drift on Yen Stream to join the festival where tourists can visit Huong Tich Cave, Thien Tru Pagoda and Trinh Temple.
Catholic tourists can choose famous churches to make the tour meaningful and unforgettable. Saigontourist is offering a tour to visit La Vang, Phat Diem and Hanoi Big churches. The eight day tour is VND7.91 million, exclusive of flight tickets. The tour also visits three world heritages, Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hue ancient city.
Tours can be booked at Saigontourist Travel Service Company, 49 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCMC, tel 08 3827 9279, email info@saigontourist.net, or Fiditour, 127-129 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, HCMC, tel 3914 1414, email fiditour@hcm.vnn.vn.