Huong Tich Pagoda

The Huong Tich on the Hong Linh range in Ha Tinh is the older of the two pagodas of that name in Vietnam - the Perfume Pagoda outside Hanoi took the name later, and the Ha Tinh foundation is dated to the Tran period in the thirteenth century. It stands at about 650 metres on the mountain, reached by a boat across a reservoir at the foot and then either a cable car or a climb of a few kilometres through forest. The legend attached is the story of the princess Dieu Thien, who became Quan Am. It sees a fraction of the traffic that the northern pagoda takes.

What you actually see

• The older Huong Tich - a Tran foundation of the thirteenth century.
• At about 650 metres - on the Hong Linh range.
• A boat, then a climb or cable car - the way up.
• Far quieter than the northern one - which took the name later.

When to go

Year round; the festival runs from the first lunar month. A full day.

Honest expectations

Getting there involves a boat and then a climb or a charged cable car, which adds up. Ha Tinh is off the tourist route and services are limited. Interpretation is in Vietnamese. Rain makes the steps slippery.

Nearby

Nguyen Du's memorial site is close; Vinh is north.