“ Vietnam Holidays “ -Thousands of tourists and pilgrims flocked to the opening ceremony of this year’s Yen Tu Spring Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on February 23, the tenth day of the first lunar month. Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 250,000 visitors since the first day of the Lunar New Year and its festival will last three months during spring.
Prominent
those present at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan
and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive
Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu.
Buddhist dignitaries,
monks, nuns, followers and visitors joined together in offering incense
to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293.
Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50km from Halong City. The
route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to
its highest peak, is almost 30km. Dong Pagoda, which sits atop the
mountain’s highest peak, is more than a kilometre above sea level.
The
area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along
with surrounding ancient pagodas and hermitages, are said to have been
the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so
that he could devote his life living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu
Mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which
has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for
Buddhism.
Just
want to let you know that we had a marvellous trip to Vietnam ,Laos and all the
guides and sites were very well planned and organised so a big thank
you. Next trip will be Cambodia and possibly Vietnam and 6 days on a
beach location. We’ll contact you soon for our trip.
