HÀ NỘI — As the first incense of the lunar new year drifts skywards, so too do visitor numbers at Hương Pagoda, where thousands are flocking to one of northern Việt Nam’s largest cultural spiritual festivals.

The renowned Hương Pagoda Festival 2026 officially opened on Sunday, the sixth day of the Tết Lunar New Year holiday, but it had already seen a surge in arrivals from the first day of the lunar year, according to the organising board.

On the fifth day of Tết alone, the site welcomed a record 51,000 visitors. At the cable car entrance and along the path to Hương Tích Cave, tens of thousands queued for tickets and the climb up the mountain, leading to prolonged congestion.

An official from the Hương Sơn Commune People’s Committee was quoted by Lao Động newspaper as saying that total visitors to the Hương Pagoda tourist site during the first five days of the holiday reached 135,895, up 37,561, or 138 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

Located about 65km from central Hà Nội, Hương Pagoda is among Việt Nam’s best-known Buddhist complexes. Spanning 4,940 hectares, it comprises 21 pagodas, temples, shrines and caves dedicated to the Buddha and deities associated with indigenous agricultural beliefs.

Traditionally held from the sixth day of the first lunar month, originally marking the opening of the forest, through to the third lunar month, the festival is one of the country’s largest cultural events with significant influence on national culture and religion. The site is also a distinctive spiritual tourism destination for the capital.

 

 The Hương Pagoda Festival 2026 is sharpening its focus on quality in both organisation and management, aiming to showcase the outstanding value of Hà Nội’s scenic complex, according to the festival’s organising board and local tourism authority.

Running until May 11 under the theme An toàn-Thân thiện-Chất lượng (Safety-Friendliness-Quality), this year’s event signals a shift towards more sustainable cultural tourism development.

As one of the country’s largest cultural events, the festival has received strong support and attention from local residents and city authorities.

Three days before its official opening, Vũ Đại Thắng, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Hà Nội City Party Committee and Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, personally inspected preparations and management arrangements.

After reviewing the Yến Stream area and the route to Thiên Trù Pagoda, he acknowledged improvements in the application of technology in ticket management, issuance and control, as well as transport operations, to enhance transparency and convenience for visitors.

Emphasising the theme Safety-Friendliness-Quality, Thắng called for close coordination and professional organisation to help promote Hà Nội as a civilised, modern and culturally rich tourism destination.

Earlier, Trần Đức Hải, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hương Sơn Commune, said the organising board had adopted a new plan for the 2026 festival, focusing on modernising management and ensuring the event is conducted in a civilised, professional and sustainable manner throughout the year.

The Hương Pagoda Festival is organised in full compliance with the law, ensuring solemnity, safety and civility while preserving and promoting the site’s unique cultural, historical and religious values. Local authorities also regard the festival as an important platform to promote Hương Pagoda and Hương Sơn Commune as leading cultural and spiritual tourism destinations in the capital.

 

“This year marks the start of the 2026-30 management term. Our focus is on leveraging cultural heritage values in tandem with local economic and social development, promoting the cultural industry with cultural tourism as the main focus. We aim to move towards year-round tourism instead of seasonal tourism, and improve service quality to enhance visitors’ experiences,” said Hải.

He added that the quality of this year’s festival would serve as an important foundation for further affirming the exceptional value of the Hương Sơn scenic site. Plans are being prepared to submit a proposal to the Government to recognise Hương Pagoda as a National Tourist Site in 2026 and to complete the nomination dossier seeking UNESCO recognition as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site by 2030.

Smart management

A major feature of this year’s festival is the expanded use of information technology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence in its management and operation.

This represents a clear shift from traditional methods towards smarter management, with a strong focus on improving the visitor experience.

In preparation, local authorities have coordinated with telecommunications companies to strengthen network infrastructure and install AI camera systems at key locations to enhance monitoring, management, security, safety and transparency.

All administrative, operational and reporting work will be handled through an electronic document system, while festival information will be disseminated across newspapers, radio, television and digital platforms.

Entrance and boat ticket sales and inspections will be synchronised using QR codes, alongside a hotline to receive feedback from visitors. Data on visitor numbers by time of day will be collected and analysed to help manage traffic flows proactively. Technological solutions will also be applied to ease pressure on the management system and improve the visitor experience, reducing congestion and overcrowding, particularly during peak periods when daily arrivals can reach 45,000-50,000.

Alongside digital transformation, festival management remains a priority, with strict measures to ensure security, traffic safety, fire prevention and rescue operations. Service activities, stalls, business premises and environmental sanitation will be closely supervised, with strict penalties for solicitation, price gouging, commercial fraud and encroachment on historical sites.

A central element of the 2026 plan is the shift towards year-round tourism development at Hương Pagoda. From May to December, the locality will prioritise cultural and spiritual tourism products, experiential tourism and ecological tourism, linked to four tour routes connected to special national historical sites.

Cultural, artistic and sporting activities will be developed and organised in conjunction with major occasions such as Buddha’s Birthday and the lotus and water lily blossom season, creating additional attractions and encouraging visitors to return beyond the main festival period. — VNS