The Pilgrim’s tales

A large crowd of pilgrims jostle on the way up to Huong Pagoda

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tens of thousands of pilgrims are jostling, pushing, and littering up the sacred place at the Huong Pagoda in Hanoi as the famous Huong Pagoda Festival opens Tuesday, to last three months.

The pagoda, in My Duc District, is a cultural and historical relic of Vietnam and according to traditions, on the sixth day of the lunar New Year which is today, people would arrive at the pagoda to pray for wellness and fortune.

Huong pagoda is not one temple but a cluster of temples and shrines in the general vicinity of Huong Mountain, built during the reign of Le Chinh Hoa (1680 -1705), by a monk.

Other shrines and temples were later built in this area to take advantage of the beautiful scenery.

Tuoi Tre captures chaotic images around the site today:

 

 

A large crowd of pilgrims jostle to the entrance gate of Thien Tru Pagoda – one of many sites belonging to Huong Pagoda to lay their offerings to the gods for fortune

 

Some shop owners offer odd service by charging VND2,000 – 10,000 for each pilgrim to use their shops as shortcuts to the pilgrimage site

 

After squeezing in to visit some locations, visitors take a rest and start to throw away garbage

 

Many young people try to enter a sacred site to pray by climbing over a hedge

 

Children buy violent toys on their pilgrimage path

 

Many jostled and waited up to 2 hours for their turn to take a cable car to the Huong Tich Cave – lying midway on the side of Huong Tich Mountain and 400m above sea level

Ho Chi Minh City bookworms rummage festival

Parents take their children to search for books during the book road festival

Around 150,000 people visited the first-ever Book Road Festival organized in Ho Chi Minh City from January 31 to February 6 during the Lunar New Year.

Located on Mac Thi Buoi, a side street connecting Dong Khoi with the heavy-trafficked Nguyen Hue flower road in District 1, it was filled with people from morning until late at night.

A Q&A session with four writers Do Thi Thanh Binh, Le Thi Kim, Bui Chi Vinh, and Pham Sy Sau on Sunday morning attracted a large audience, some of whom stayed longer than expected to get a chance to talk to the famous writers.

The festival also provided a special area for children to read books and color drawings, which proved a huge attraction with kids.

People looking for rare books published before the Renovation period could exchange or buy them at a stall put up by the city’s General Science Library, some for merely VND10,000 (50 US cents).

“At first, we did not think we would be able to sell many books during Tet but it turned out people in HCMC bought a lot,” said Tu Ha, a cashier for a bookstall at the event.

“Books on Buddhism, culture, and philosophy; works by famous authors like Tran Dan and To Hoai; and translated items by well-known publishers like Nha Nam, Tri Thuc, and Dong A, were in great demand.”

Fahasa, the biggest book distributor in the country, reported sales worth VND500 million (US$ 25,500) during the week.

“This is a success [at the festival in the city with population of 8 million]. Next year perhaps we can seek a larger area, a larger street to organize the festival,” Le Manh Ha, director of the city’s Information and Communication Department, said.

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Huong Pagoda festival kicks off

HA NOI - The biggest annual pilgrimage festival kicks off today – the 6th day of the first lunar new year – at the Huong Son Huong Pagoda, in My Duc District, around 60km west of the Ha Noi central business district.

The relic site, built at the end of 17th century, also consists of dozens of pagodas dedicated to Buddha, and various temples dedicated to local saints and agricultural gods on a bank of the Day River.

It is estimated that about 50,000 tourists would visit the relic this year. The festival lasts till the end of the third month of the lunar year (the end of April).

My Duc District's People's Committee Chairman Le Van Sang said the local authority had planned a safer and more bustling festival this year. Shops, advertisement banners and food shops would be strictly controlled to offer the best service to tourists.

Environmental protection also would be enhanced by the relic management board which planned to process rubbish following guidance by the Ha Noi Natural Resources and Environment Department. - VNS

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Buddhism helps Hanoi youth bust stress

Children and teenagers attend a Buddhism class to seek sense of calm and peace in mind

With Vietnam’s increasing integration with the outside world, young Hanoians are getting a taste of the stresses associated with a modern economy.

They have begun to explore ways to ease the stress, including attending Buddhism classes.

In the past, few went to pagodas. Even those who did go were often sent by their parents to keep them away from trouble.

But more and more youngsters are now turning to Buddhism. The Buddhist Youth Union’s 12 clubs had 20 members in 2005 and this has risen to 300.

At the clubs, they chant and meditate, read books on Buddhism, listen to prayers, and participate in social activities.

Thu Phuong, a student of the Hanoi University of Culture, said: “[When I] listen to Buddhism lessons at pagodas, I really feel a sense of calm and inner peace.”

Nguyen Hai Van of Cau Giay District said: “I send my three sons to pagodas during weekends to learn Buddhism to not only seek peace of mind but also curb their aggressive instincts.”

Tran Thanh, a new convert, said: “I find the Buddhism lessons very interesting though I have just started attending.”

Buddhism, one of the world’s major religions, was founded around 2,500 years ago in India by Siddhartha Gautama who was contemplating about how to bring happiness to the world.

 

Youths practise meditation in pagoda

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Film, theater buffs flock for their Tet fix

Cinemas and theaters in Ho Chi Minh City raked in the moolah during Tet last week.

With movie-going becoming a growing habit in Vietnam, producers now look to the Lunar New Year holidays as a high season for releases, as a horror-comic flick and two romantic comedies hit the screens this year.

“Co dau dai chien” (Bride in a big fight), a laugh-a-minute love story involving five girls and a guy, was popular with both fans and critics for its strong plot, interesting characters, and attractive cast.

During the Tet week, it collected VND14.2 billion (US$730,000).

The first made-in-Vietnam 3D movie, the horror-comic “Bong ma hoc duong” (school ghosts) produced by Thien Ngan Movie JSC and directed by Le BaoTrung, delves into issues faced by teens with relation to family, love, and school violence.

In the 12 days since its release, it has picked up a cool VND22 billion (US$ 1.1 million).

However, critics have slammed it for being too sex-focused and its grainy and blurred visuals.

“Thien su 99” (Heavenly messenger 99), the last of the releases, cast the lone shadow, being deemed a disappointment in all aspects.

Some cinemas even had to cancel screenings for lack of audience.

Packed theatres

As for theaters, most had to increase their shows to three or four daily to cope with demand despite increased ticket prices, which aficionados seemed to shrug off.

Tickets for plays at Idecaf Playhouse featuring star actor and playwright Thanh Loc were sold out in advance though they were criticized for not being as good as usual.

Hong Van Theater, owned by renowned ex-actress Hong Van, welcomed the Lunar New Year with horror plays.

Though ghosts are a taboo topic during the New Year for many Vietnamese, the shows ran to full houses.

Most popular were the shows by comedienne Kieu Oanh who combined theater with singing, hip-hop dance, and acrobatics.

Oanh’s shows were full though tickets cost a whopping VND500,000-1.5 million (US$26 - 77).

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Tourism flourishes during Tet holiday

Tourists visit the Royal Palace at Hue Citadel in Thua Thien-Hue Province. ­­—VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung

HCM CITY — More local and foreign tourists have taken inbound and outbound tours during the Tet (Lunar New Year) 2011 holiday compared to previous years.

The number of foreign visitors arriving in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue reached 50,000, mostly from Europe, Japan and Thailand, an increase of about 20,000 over previous years.

Local officials said that numerous cultural festivals held in Hue during Tet had attracted a large number of visitors. They said the festival was a harbinger for many other cultural events to be held in the province this year in order to welcome the National Tourism Year set to be celebrated in 2012.

All historical relics in Hue remained open to visitors free of charge from February 3-5 (Jan 1 – 3 on the lunar calendar).

Da Lat welcomed roughly 75,000 tourists during this Tet holiday, with most hotels and guesthouses in the Central Highland city reporting 80 per cent occupancy.

In Ha Noi, about 1,000 passengers on 109 international flights arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport from February 3 – 5, mostly European tourists and Viet kieu (Vietnamese overseas) from many countries, according to the airport's Customs Department.

Besides, about 8,000 passengers on 82 flights departed from the airport to other countries during the holiday.

The first international flight carrying 184 tourist passengers from Hong Kong arrived at the Da Nang International Airport on the second day of Tet.

They came on a 5-day tour offering relaxing stays at high-end resorts and hotels, as well as visits to many tourist sites like the Son Tra Peninsula, Ngu Hanh Son Mountain and many world heritage sites in Hue and Hoi An Town.

The Sebourn Pride carrying 200 passengers from the UK, France, Germany, and the US also arrived at the Tien Sa Port in Da Nang on the second day of Tet.

Meanwhile, thousands of tourists flocked to Kim Lien historical site in the eponymous commune, Nam Dan District, in the central province of Nghe An, which is late President Ho Chi Minh's home village.

The site's management board mobilised more staff to offer better services during Tet because of the increase in number of visitors during the festive season.

The site, which has normal working hours of 7:30am till 5pm, was opened even earlier until late in the night to serve a large number of visitors on the first and second days of Tet, the board said.

Travel firms do well

The surge in Tet festival tourism saw HCM City-based Viettravel company serve 18,000 – 20,000 customers, a soar of 40 per cent over the same period last year.

Viettravel mobilised an unprecedented 300 tourist guides to serve customers during this Tet holiday.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist Company in HCM City attracted 10,000 customers to join 130 domestic tours, an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Saigontourist also welcomed and served 9,000 foreign tourists on this occasion. — VNS

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Fireworks, festivals ring in new year

Day in the sun: Many pilgrims flock to Yen Tu site in the northern province of Quang Ninh to attend the spring festival and pray for good fortune in the new year. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Tran The sand flies: A wrestling competition in the traditional festival of Mai Dong Village, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi, on the occasion of new year. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhat Anh

HCM CITY — Splendid displays of fireworks and traditional festivities animated the country during the first week of February to welcome Tet (Lunar New Year), which falls under the zodiac sign of the Cat.

On New Year's Eve, when the Cat takes over rule from the Tiger, fireworks lit up the sky across the country.

A 15-minute display of fireworks entertained various ethnic groups in the capital of the northernmost province of Ha Giang, while fireworks were accompanied by a count-down concert in Dien Bien Phu city in northwestern province of Dien Bien, which borders Laos.

Fireworks in Ha Giang were made possible with funding from local enterprises rather than from the provincial budget, according to Hung Thi Hong, a senior provincial official.

This year's Tet Holiday coincided with the 81st anniversary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and followed a successful Party Congress, the country's premier political event which takes place every five years.

Thousands of locals, including elderly people and children took to the streets in spite of chilly weather to view a fireworks display at the sports arena in northern Ninh Binh Province.

A fireworks display was also staged in Thu Dau Mot Town and every district of southern Binh Duong Province, while provincial party chief Mai The Trung headed a delegation to pay New Year's visits to soldiers, police officers and workers of state-owned enterprises.

Trees and houses lining downtown streets in northern Nam Dinh City, were decorated in red with thousands of flags and flower lanterns, and artists of traditional opera like cheo and cai luong performed classical dramas in colourful costumes during the New Year's Eve.

The sun finally emerged after many days of a severe cold spell.

Droves of people thronged into Buddhist pagodas and temples in Ha Noi to pray for a happy new year and the well-being of their families, and streets surrounding the Temple of Literature were lined with calligraphy stalls where calligraphy-painted Chinese characters representing "Luck" and "Happiness" were on sale.

In HCM City, downtown avenues like Nguyen Hue and Le Loi have become traditional magnets that drew thousands of revelers during Tet with colourful arrangement of flowers and decorations.

The city's Party leader Le Thanh Hai joined the revelers on the avenue on Sunday and tossed a coin into a lake to wish for peace and prosperity for citizens.

"I'm so glad that the city has made great changes in the past years," said Nguyen Van Dac, an overseas Vietnamese in the US who returned to the country for the first time after 15 years.

In the world heritage town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam Province, lanterns in various shapes of the cat made by local craftsmen, lit up both sides of the Hoai River that runs through the town.

Farmers in the Mekong Delta took to rice paddy fields on Saturday, the third day of Tet, in a symbolic deed to wish for good crops. — VNS

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