Vietnam destinations, Thay , Tay Phuong Pagodas, the Perfume Pagoda

Thay & Tay Phuong Pagodas

From Hanoi tours to two different pagodas, Thay and Tay Phuong are very often combined
in a day trip or half-day trip from Hanoi since their neighbouring locations. Thay pagoda,
located 40km west of Hanoi in a tranquil and beautiful village, is combination of Buddhist
pagodas and a Taoist Temple, which is dedicated to Tu Dao Hanh, a Taoist hermit lived in
12th century who was considered one of the karmas of king Ly Than Tong.
The temple preserve many precious worshipping objects like the statues of Tu Dao Hanh
describe three "karmas" of this figure, wooden and stone bas-relieves and steles, lacquered
statues, thrones, bells. If you have much time, take a walk surrounding to reach the higher
pagodas on the mountainside or visit the cave where they have found some skeletons and
ancient coins in early 20th century.
Thay Pagoda is also known for a big pavilion in the middle of a pond facing the main temple.
Water puppetry performances take place here at festival time, particularly in the third lunar
month where pilgrims rush in. Two ancient roofed bridges over the pond built in 1602
increase the natural beauty of the combination.
8km away from Thay pagoda is the Tay Phuong pagoda, sited on the hilltop. There are 239
laterite steps uphill to the pagoda, and from this height opens a wonderful aerial view of the
surrounded fields, laterite mountains and villages. Most of the structure was rebuilt in the
17th and 18th century and has a big significance of classic architecture. Almost the tiles,
wooden relieves, rafters are preserved well with their traditional ornaments like lotus-shape,
marguerites, banyan leaves, dragon, tiger which are quite popular to Vietnamese
decoration style. Inside the pagoda are 75 famous jackwood Arhat statues, which are
considered the best of the plastic arts and sculpture of Vietnam. The statues either describe
different legends of Buddha and his disciples, or express the meditation and will of the
people to release themselves from ordinary pains and reach the enlightenment. Both Thay
and Tay Phuong pagodas are easy to reach and suitable for either visit by bus or biking
tours.

"Chua Huong" (the Perfume Pagoda).
Best combination of boat trip, sightseeing, mountain climbing and religious pilgrimage "Chua
Huong" - the Perfume Pagoda is the name of a collection of Buddhist temples which are
very sacred to Vietnamese people of Buddhist faith, and an annual visit up here in
springtime is a must to a lot of believers.
Located on the limestone rocks of Huong Son Mountain in beautiful and mystical
surroundings, the pagodas are 70 km or two-hour driving out of Hanoi. Unlike other temples
in Vietnam, the only way to reach this sanctuary is floating along a narrow but extremely
poetic stream by rowing boats that takes 45 minutes. An iron boat can carry 3-5 people and
a large wooden boat – up to 20 locals.
The stream is edged by rice, grass, small paths, and temples here and there. A local pilgrim
can spend here traditionally three days to visit entirely the area and pray at all the temples.
The first temple they often stop is called Den Trinh (i.e. The Shrine for First
Presenting), where Vietnamese burn the first jossticks to inform the local deities about their
presence and pray for a good trip and good luck for the year ahead. If you are anxious to
reach the main Wharf of Huong Son mountain to start the uphill trip to see the Main Grotto
of Huong Tich, you may skip this temple, especially in the peak season between January
and early April.
The uphill trip takes an hour climbing on the ancient flat and sometime slippery stones,
which have been here thousand years ago. The road is "breathtaking" in all aspects – you
will have some exercise, and at the same time have chance to take some stops to
contemplate beautiful scenery and daily life of local farmers, who plant cassava and apricots
in the valleys, who run quickly on the slippery stone with their burdens of tapioca, apricots
or medicinal herbs whilst you are careful with your steps. The main pagoda is set in a huge
grotto containing a highly decorative shrine. Each stalactite and stalagmite inside, which are
soaked by undercurrent, is combined with a legend about its miracle and good luck. Most of
them became small shrines by now. Remember that the stone grotto is huge and very cool,
so stop for a while at the entrance to dry your sweat before coming in.
The main festive days of Chua Huong stretches from January to early April, busy and
exciting. Sometimes it's drizzling and the Vietnamese all believe that the real good things will
reach you if you catch rainwater after praying in a sacred pagoda. And among all the
sacred temples and pagodas in Northern Vietnam, Chua Huong is even more attractive and
mysterious not only for its spectacular scenery, but for the painstaking road you passed
over to reach to the top.

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc – Bich Dong
most remarkable sights of Ninh Binh Province
Hoa Lu used to be one of the many old capitals of Vietnam before Thang Long – presently
Hanoi – take its historical role. From an exciting town and centre of cultural and military
activities of the Dai Co Viet Kingdom in 10th century, the area now is more wellknown for its
landscape since almost relics of the urban excitement had been
collapsed, except in the Temples of King Dinh and King Le. A trip to Hoa Lu should be
started from Tam Coc ("three caves"), which takes more than two hours driving from Hanoi,
and visitors may say that distance is not a matter after seating in a boat rowed by one or
two local persons in Hoang Long river and see the first limestone mountains, which will run
along their riverway for several kilometers. The boat will run, sorry, will be rowed, through
three caves on the river, all created by wind and water from a legend time, while the sea
had occupied this area. The tide-mark is still on the rock about 2m above the water, and in
higher mountainwall the erosion have carved some strange shapes that now filled of green
grass, delicious foods of the goats that local people breed everywhere. If you are lucky,
sometimes you can see mischievous monkeys. The river trip is wonderful for photo hunters,
especially when local people come to harvest the water rice planted along the river, or when
they transplant some seedling for the next crops. The tourists often compare the place with
Guilin – China, or more closely, to the limestone islets of Halong Bay in the Tonkin Gulf for
their similar geological structures and shapes. Thus Tam Coc is also called Halong-Bay-On-
Land.
From the wharf of Tam Coc you can go further till reaching Bich Dong Pagoda, a
combination of three pagodas on the Lower, Middle and Upper levels of a pretty mountain.
You will need to climb a little bit till you get to the top of the Upper pagoda and your eyes
catch the overall panorama of the paddy fields between Truong Yen mountain.
All the pagodas, or lean upon a cliff, or simply have some statues inside a large grotto,
deserve the name "Bich Dong" (emerald-like grotto). A scene of the popular French movie
"Indochine" had been completed here in 1991, remarking a rush of the French-speaking
tourists to Vietnam, who usually do not skip Halong Bay and Tam Coc-Bich Dong where the
leading actress Catherine Deneuve left her footprints.
On the way back from Tam Coc – Bich Dong to Hanoi you can pay a visit to the last relics of
the ancient capital Hoa Lu – the Temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the two
heroes who lived in 10th century and chose Hoa Lu to build the citadel of the capital city.
From time to time, archaeologists have excavated buried parts of this citadel with rusty
weapons and ceramics. The temples are said to be built on the old foundation of their
original palaces in 11-12th centuries and restored in 17th century. Though the temples are
not maintained entirely some precious antiques are still preserved well like the whole-stone
dragon thrones, wooden bas-relieves and lacquered statues of King Dinh, Kinh Le, Queen
Duong Van Nga who in turn got married both of the kings, and the princes of the two
dynasties.

Phat Diem
Amazing Catholic Church
You may say a church is not your interest in a Far East country and thus you will be missing
one of the most remarkable religious architectures in Vietnam. Phat Diem Church, a group
of different churches of stone and wood, is the centre of Catholicism in Northern Vietnam
and designed in Vietnamese style mixed harmoniously with the European Catholic traditions.
There's a grave on the ground of the church of Mr. Tran Luc, a local Catholic lived in late
19th century who designed the whole church without taking any official course of
architecture and paintings. Phat Diem Church is divided into two quarters: the churches and
the clergy's house, which gradually completed in 1875 (the first Cavern built to test the
subsidence of the area foundation), 1889 (the church of Saint Mary's Heart), 1891 (the Big
Cathedral and the Belfry), and the Saints' shrines of Giuse, Phero and Rocco, all finished
about 1898. The traditional architecture of Vietnam is recognized obviously in each
ornament: the Belfry has curly tiled roof-tops with decoration of Vietnamese temples, the
shrine of Jesus' Heart is made of jackwood, the Big Cathedral is designed as a grandiose
Communal House with sophisticated multi-level rafters, and all the churches are decorated
with lotus, lemon flowers, birds, tropical trees like apricot and bamboo, and matched
inscriptions in Chinese which are popular in Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The entire
structure is admirable not only for the beauty of each fabric but for their amazingly unique
co-ordination and is considered a pride of the contemporary folk works.

Cuc Phuong National Park
Cuc Phuong, the first National Park of Vietnam which was established in 1962, is 140 km
South of Hanoi, 55km from Ninh Binh, roughly 25,000 hectares. The botanical richness of
the forest is impressive as it supports a wide variety of flora species and patches of primeval
forest, including ancient trees with thick clusters of roots, and parasitic plants and ligneous
creepers. Some tree species have been introduced from Burma, India, and Borneo.
Clusters of orchards grow near cave entrances, where the moisture conditions
and light are ideal. Varieties include thousand-year dracontomelum and parashorea trees
which can be visited in a one or two hour hiking, and coral, vanilla, snow-white, and butterfly
orchids everywhere. Large mammals inhabit the park including panthers and
bears, but rarely appear, so the most popular animals you can see are monkeys, gibbons,
flying squirrels and pheasants. There are also over 120 species of birds and many varieties
of beetles living here, and April and May arrive swarms of butterflies. At night, million of
cicadas create a deafening din, and million of fireflies flicker about.
Lying in a limestone area, Cuc Phuong includes numerous caves. At "Nguoi Xua" (Cave of
Early Man), two ancient tombs have been discovered, along with Neolithic remains and
evidence of stone implements; there have been similar finds at Trang Khuyet (Crescent
Moon), Thanh Minh, and Con Mong Caves. Hang Dan Cave is known for its bat population.
Hiking in Cuc Phuong is following some kilometers of trails and passing through old-growth
forest with long vines wrapped around strangled trees, visiting the
caves, waterfalls and streams in the forest or stopping over at a Muong ethnic's village.
Since the location in between three provinces, it's easy to combine a trip to Cuc Phuong
with a trip to Hoa Binh or Ninh Binh province, or you can depart from Hanoi, spend the whole
day exploring the forest and overnight at the Park's guest house.

LE NGUYEN TRAVEL

INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR LICENCE No 0474/TCDL - GP LHQT

Weather