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With
Ha Dong as provincial capital, Ha Tay lies to the southwest of and
at the entrance to Ha Noi capital. For this reason,all of its tourist
attractions are around 50km from the centre of Ha Noi and easily accessible
by land. Chua Huong (Perfume Pagoda) stands amidst a large area of
scenic interest named Huong Son in My Son district, almost 70km to
the southwest of Ha Noi. Actually, Chua Huong (Perfume Pagoda) is
a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines and natural scenery consisting
of mountains ( Mam Xoi or Raspberry mountain, Con Ga or Cock mountain,
Voi or Elephant mountain, Lon or Kylin mountain...), forests, streams
(Yen and Tuyet), grottoes (Huong Tich, Hinh Bong, Ngoc Long, Chua
Tien) and pagodas (Ngoai or Cho, Trong or Huong, Hinh Bong, Long Van,
Bao Dai...). The most outstanding spots are Huong Tich Grotto and
Huong Pagoda. Nam Thien De Nhat Dong (The most beautiful grotto in
the South) - the distinction conferred by Lord Trinh Sam - remains
visible on the wall of Huong Tich Grotto. It is in the area surrounding
Perfume Pagoda that the traces of the primitive mankind as well as
the archaeological artifacts of the Hoa Binh-Bac Son cultures have
been discovered. Perfume Pagoda is also reputed for its valuable medicinal
herbs. Dong Mois a tourist attraction for those who love nature and
are fond of golf. At the very foot of Ba Vi mountain is Dong Mo, a
poetic valley with a man-made reservoir covering 1,500 ha and more
than 20 islets. Dong Mo Golf Course is covered with velvety, verdant
grass, and has 18 holes of international standard. In addition, Ha
Tay attracts local and foreign visitors by such beautiful sites as
Son Tay Citadel, Tay Phuong Pagoda, Chua Thay (Master's Pagoda). At
last is Tan Vien Temple in Ba Vicommune (Ba Vidistrict, Ha Tay). Built
in the times of the northern domination, this temple was in dedication
to God of Tan Vien Mountain or Mountain God.
Sixty kilometres
southwest of HaNoi is Chua Huong compound. Usually known to foreign
tourists as the Perfume Pagoda, it is found on the last range of the
Son La-Mac Chau limestone range in northern VietNam and covers 5,134
ha stretching over the four southern communes of My Son district in
HaTay province.
Occupying an important position in both Buddhism and Vietnamese culture,
Chua Huong adds a unique cultural feature to the Southeast Asian and
Asian region. The area's romantic scenery provides a perfect backdrop
to the development of spiritual life as well as providing magical
natural surroundings.
Impressed after his visit to Chuïa Huong, Hasegawa Mirokazu, president
of the Hasegawa Construction Company which manages Japan's biggest
cultural and Buddhist villages, said: Chua Huong deserves the pride
of being an excellent tourist destination. Foreigners coming here
seem to be very drawn to its beauty and nature's romantic scenery
which bears deep Vietnamese cultural characteristics. Therefore, it
is necessary to improve Chua Huong's infrastructure to preserve its
natural as well as cultural heritage. However, unfortunately, the
entire area is now facing severe environmental pollution and traffic
problems caused, on the one hand by tourists and, on the other, by
bad management by local authorities. Better-late-than-never, the Ministry
of Planning and Investment has recently received a masterplan on Environmental
Improvement and Traffic Solutions. But first,Chua Huong's two major
problems must be solved. Local authorities reveal that if these pollution
and traffic problems are not overcome quickly, the area will face
total destruction in the near future.
Some are even thinking of making Chua Huong the place to pray for
world peace. If so, it would become the third place in the world after
Verona in Italy and Hiroshima in Japan, and planners are working hard
from now to the year 2000 to achieve this goal. (VNS)
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