Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) is about 60 km southwest of Hanoi. It's an important place of pilgrimage, and certainly one of the most scenic. Everything on the way is remarkably photogenic, except, of course, the Perfume Pagoda itself, which is in a cave at the top of a mountain that it takes 2 hours to climb.

The trip starts in the village of Duc Khe, where there are rowboats manned by women. The boat trip takes about an hour, through karst country that looks a lot like Guilin in southern China. The mountains form odd shapes, and the locals have names for each of them. There are two complexes of temples, the most important being Thien Chu (Leading to Heaven), and then the 4 km walk straight upward in that direction.

* = Duyen's photo

Click for a larger version Duc Khe village

The starting point on the trip. There are steps to leading down to the river, where women with boats row to the Perfume Pagoda.
Click for a larger version *The boats in question
Click for a larger version Yen river

I believe this is actually on the way back, but why let facts interfere with a story?
Click for a larger version Fishing

The boat is a sort of aquatic snowboard. Along the river there are also fish farms, rice fields and ducks.
Click for a larger version Small pagoda

flanked by karst mountains
Click for a larger version Another small pagoda

with rakishly inclined millinery.
Click for a larger version The first set of temples

where we didn't stop because of the time
Click for a larger version The gate of Thien Chu

where we did stop. Built in the 17th century, it's still in use, with monks' quarters on the premises.
Click for a larger version Small building at Thien Chu
Click for a larger version Stylite with inscriptions

in front of the monks' quarters. Before the Roman alphabet, Vietnam used Chinese characters to write its language.
Click for a larger version Thien Chu, facing the temples
Click for a larger version More of the same
Click for a larger version From the other side

A courtyard with plants, sculptures and pillboxes with statues.
Click for a larger version A Vietnamese Beefeater

The gin is made in the bathtub on the left.
Click for a larger version Someone you shouldn't mess with – porcelain or not

In London tourists enjoy tormenting the guards, who aren't allowed to move.

Despite the fact that this fellow can't, I'd stay away from him anyway.

Click for a larger version Temple altar, with offerings
Click for a larger version *The Perfume Pagoda

Not a pagoda, but a cave. It takes two hours of climbing to get here.

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