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The Perfume Pagoda is situated in My Due District, approximately 70km south-west of Hanoi. To go there, travellers must cross Ha Dong, then Van Dinh, to reach Ben Duc Wharf. From there, a boat take them for a scenic 3km ride on the Yen Vy river. The landscape displays high mountains, deep forests and streams that harmoniously intermingle with the rice fields.
Huong Tich Grotto is the most beautiful and famous of the grottoes in the area. It was discovered more than 2,000 years ago. When Lord Trinh Sam visited the grotto in the 18'" century, he wrote five Chinese characters on the entrance in calligraphy:
Nam Thien De Nhat Dong, meaning "the most beautiful grotto under the Southern skies". In the middle of the grotto is a statue of Bodhisattva Quan Am. Surrounding the statue are stalagmites resembling golden trees, silver trees, cocoons, hillocks, and a group of nine dragons.
Many Vietnamese visit the Perfume Pagoda to implore Buddha for happiness and good
luck, as well as to immerse themselves in the beauties of nature. The Perfume Pagoda Festival begins after the New Year's festivities and lasts until the 3rd lunar month. During that period, between three and four hundred thousand people, from children to 60 and 70 year-old pilgrims, visit the Perfume Pagoda.