Huong Tich Pagoda – ‘Hoan Chau’s first scenic spot’

Located in the North Central region, 340km from the capital Hanoi, Ha Tinh is not only famous for its charming mountains but also known as a spiritual masterpiece.
One of the most famous places here is Huong Tich Pagoda, which is known as: “Hoan Chau the first scenic spot”.

Huong Tich Pagoda, full name Huong Tich Co Tu, also known as Thom Pagoda, is a famous temple located in Thien Loc commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province. The pagoda is located at an altitude of 650m above sea level, located on the top of one of the most beautiful and majestic mountains in the Hong Linh range. Huong Tich Pagoda, Ha Tinh Province. This is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, dating back thousands of years. The ancient landscapes of Vietnamese Buddhism now have two landscapes with the same name, which is “Perfume Pagoda” one in Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province, the other in My Duc district, Hanoi city. Both Huong Tich pagodas are named in a rustic way with Vietnamese cultural style as Thom pagoda. Vietnamese historians are trying to find documents about the original Huong Tich pagoda in Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province, which has a history of more than 7 centuries.
Huong Tich Pagoda in Ha Tinh is a complex of many traditional Vietnamese cultural and religious relics, with many temples worshiping Buddha, a few temples worshiping Gods, including temples carrying agricultural and religious beliefs. model worship. The Perfume Pagoda complex is divided into three main parts: Upper Palace, Thien Vuong Temple and Thanh Mau Am. In addition, there are forest gate temple, Phat Ba resting station, Giac Pho am, Quy Khoc slot, Giai Oan waterfall, market beach, Thuong pagoda, Ancestral church, Thanh Mau palace, Dieu Thien am, Duoc Su am, Trang Vuong background. , am Bat Canh…
Behind the pagoda are countless large rocks, around many ancient trees reaching out to cast moss on the roofs of the pagoda, making the scene more melancholy, contemplative, sacred, fanciful… The pagoda also has wonderful scenery. beautiful links such as: Tien Nu cave 36 doors, Phun May am, Tien Bath stream…
From behind the pagoda, go up about 28 stone steps to Huong Tich cave, also known as Am Quan Am, Am Phat Ba, which still retains the old structure. Inside the deep cave, there is a statue of Lady Buddha sitting on a lotus throne and some statues of a mother holding a child holding a willow branch… People consider Am Phat Ba a sacred place and it was in this place that Princess Dieu Thien practiced. practice Buddha.
Legend has it that: “About 500 BC, King Trang Vuong of Chu (in China) gave birth to three daughters. When they grew up, the two sisters followed the king’s will and married their father to become a mandarin in the court. In turn, the youngest princess Dieu Thien, the king forced her to marry a martial mandarin, was a cruel and cruel person. She was frustrated and went to the Buddha’s door to practice, the martial officer set fire to the temple, but Dieu Thien and the monks and nuns were protected and saved by the Buddha.
“Walking along to the south, Dieu Thien stopped at Huong Tich cave, Hong Linh mountain, the land of Viet Thuong where he built a monastery and was famous as a compassionate and compassionate nun. In the meantime, Chu Trang Vuong fell seriously ill, the doctor advised to have the irises and hands of a volunteer daughter to save.
“When listening to the story, Dieu Thien invited compassion and compassion to save sentient beings, poked out his eyes and cut off his hand to give to the messenger to save his father. Trang Vuong recovered from illness, sent someone to repay the favor, only to know that it was his son. The Buddha was touched by Dieu Thien’s heart, so he allowed her eyes to shine again and her hands to grow back. Dieu Thien attained enlightenment and turned into a thousand-eyed, thousand-armed Guanyin Buddha.
The top of the mountain has Huong Tich pagoda, which was once mentioned in the famous poem of La Son Phu son Nguyen Thiep: “Huong Tich Tran Trieu Tu/ Hong Son first Phong/ Di Am not Bach Thach/ Ancient only Dan Thanh Tung” The temple of the Tran dynasty / Built on the most beautiful mountain of Ngan Hong / The old Am remains white stone / In the past, only green pine trees remain).
Since 2012, here has built a cable car system to serve tourists. The cable car route starts from Mieu Co Station and ends at Huong Tich Station with a travel time of about 4 minutes, making the ceremony more convenient. In previous years, the Perfume Pagoda festival was held on the 18th day of the second lunar month, but in recent years, it has changed to the 6th day of the first lunar month, opening the tourism year of Ha Tinh province.
In 1990, Perfume Pagoda was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam as a national cultural and scenic relic and an attractive spiritual and cultural tourist destination, attracting more than 150,000 visitors annually. Visitors from all over the world come to worship and worship Buddha.