Huong Tich Cave was once known as “The most beautiful cave in the Vietnam” with its charming scenery and strangely shaped rocks. The famous cave is associated with Huong Pagoda, visited by many tourists every time they come to My Duc, Hanoi.
General information about Huong Tich cave
According to the elders in Huong Son commune, no one knew about Huong Tich Cave until the monk Van Thuy Thien Thien Tran Dao Vien Quang came to stay at Thien Tru Pagoda, then the monk and two other monks discovered it around the 15th century. In 1868, Huong Tich Cave began to worship Buddha and was popularly known as Trong Pagoda.
Currently, Huong Tich Cave is located in Huong Son National Tourist Area, My Duc District, Hanoi Capital (formerly Ha Tay). This is a tourist destination combining nature and culture, attracting many visitors every time they come to this area.
Huong Tich Cave is located at an altitude of 390 meters. This is considered the center of Huong Pagoda scenic area. Visitors often stop by Huong Tich Cave after visiting Huong Pagoda to admire the wonderful natural beauty here.
In March 1770, Lord Trinh Sam visited and awarded Huong Tich Cave with the title “Nam Thiên Đệ Nhất Động” means “The most beautiful cave in the Vietnam”; the second and third are respectively Bich Dong Cave and Dich Long cave in Ninh Binh.
The first to third lunar months are the best times to explore Huong Tich Cave. At that time, Huong Son Tourist Area will be very crowded because of the Huong Pagoda Festival. The festival will peak from the full moon of January to the 18th of February of the lunar calendar.
However, if you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery at Huong Tich Cave, come in September to December. At this time, the space around Huong Tich Cave is very fresh and pleasant, ideal for sightseeing.
How to get here?
To get to Huong Tich Cave, visitors used to have to “climb mountains and wade streams” which was quite difficult. The only way from Duc Wharf to Thien Tru Pagoda was by boat on Yen Stream. Most visitors visited Trinh Temple right at the beginning of Yen Stream before gently gliding on the 4km long stream to enjoy the scenery.
The way to climb the mountain to Huong Tich Cave is not easy. People have widened the road on stone steps for the convenience of visitors. The roads here are also well-maintained, making it easier for visitors to move. However, the road about 2km long to Huong Tich Cave is a big challenge for those who are not familiar with trekking.
The road is about 120 stone steps long. On both sides of the road are cool green forests, creating a pleasant space. To correctly identify the cave, in 1927, local people built a cave entrance with green stone.
Although not large, this cave entrance also enhances the sacredness of the cave. The current cable car service for both ways is 220,000 VND and only takes 10 minutes.
What’s unique in Huong Tich Cave?
According to folk legend, Huong Tich Cave is the mouth of a large dragon and Dun Gao Mountain in front of the cave is the dragon’s tongue.
The deep entrance to the cave has two symmetrical niches about 50m long. Right at the left entrance, there is still the inscription “The most beautiful cave in Vietnam” by Trinh Sam as an affirmation of the magical beauty of Huong Tich Cave.
In the cave, there are many towering stalactites and stalagmites that are symbolized by the locals as Co and Nui mountain, Golden tree, a buffalo, a pig… On the right ceiling, there are nine stalactites like nine dragons facing a rock protruding from the ground, popularly called “Nine dragon fighting a pearl”.
In addition to what nature has bestowed on Huong Tich Cave, there are also very delicate offerings from Buddhists such as a lotus stone pedestal, with a shadow in the corner of a person wearing a loincloth raising his hand high as if supporting the pedestal. This stone lotus pedestal was donated by two concubines during the Later Le Dynasty. The bronze statues on the “Three Jewels” were donated by the Trinh Thi Ngoc Du family in 1705.
In particular, the green stone statue of Bodhisattva was carved during the Tay Son Dynasty (1793). The statue was donated by a military officer named Nguyen Huy Nhat.
Huong Tich Cave is a famous scenic spot that many nature and culture lovers gather here to explore and admire. We hope that the information in this article will be a useful travel guide for your upcoming trip to explore Hanoi.
Source: collected by An
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