Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda is famous for its peaceful, pristine beauty amidst the quiet mountains and forests as if opening up a fairyland among human region.
The pagoda was built in 1989, but up to now, many buildings have constantly been concreted. Despite that, coming to this temple area, you feel like you are lost in a place of unreality, solemn but close, blending into majestic nature but still and gentle.
1. Roads to the temple
Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda is located halfway up Trieu Son Phuong mountain, in Dong Cham village, Huong Ho ward, Huong Tra district, about 15km from the center of Hue city, and located north of the romantic Perfume River.
With its location halfway up the mountain, you have to travel on steep hills to go to the pagoda. The road surface is rough and narrow for large cars. Therefore, small cars or motorbikes become the most suitable means of transportation here.
Follow the north bank of the Perfume River, pass Thien Mu Pagoda, and continue following the straight road for about 4km. Then, you will come across a fork. Here, the left turn along the riverbank will lead to Hon Chen Temple (Jade Cup Temple) – a holy place, and the right turn will take you to Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda.
After turning right about 400m, you will see the Hue bypass road. Get over it and go straight.
After crossing the bypass, you will see a small concrete road and the welcome gate of Dong Cham village.
Continue about 300m, and you will see another fork with a small sign: “Road to Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda” (Đường lên chùa Huyền Không Sơn Thượng), and turn right. Continue on the small and rugged roads, go about 3 km, and you will reach the temple you are waiting for.
2. Guide to visiting Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda
After you arrive at the temple, right at the gate is the parking lot. The motorbike parking fee is 5,000 VND. You leave your motorcycle there. After returning, you pay the keeper at the parking lot.
The journey to explore the beautiful scenery of Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda can take about 1 hour. If you want to sit, rest, and pray, you can spend more time.
To help you explore this temple easily, Vietnamdrive’s editorial team temporarily divided this region into four parts: left garden, right garden, central area, and main hall area.
Continuing on the path from the parking lot, you turn left and enter the garden on the left. Its beauty comes from the mountain landscape with a wild and charming style.
This garden has a pine hill, a path along the mountainside, a lake, and a poetic bridge across the lake. You won’t be able to miss the beautiful photos in this area because it looks like a garden dedicated to creating photo art.
After visiting and resting here, you will turn around to get to the central area. Here, there is a big Buddha statue sitting between two stones with prayers. Only about 5 minutes of taking pictures is enough in this region.
Keep turning left to move to a modern garden waiting for you. The garden with a lovely koi pond is neatly paved with grass. Overall, this garden has the influence of a Japanese garden.
When stepping a little further, you will return to the Vietnamese style, including a fragrant lotus pond, a small island in the middle of the lake, and a peaceful little house. However, the house on the island is a private place for the monks of the pagoda. Please stop at the bridge and do not step further!
After exploring this region, you return a short distance to enter the main buildings. The main section has five large and small projects.
The most prominent is the PURPLE CLOUD house (Am MÂY TÍA) on the left, built of wood. What a beautiful building!
The main temple is quite large, located to the left of Am May Tia. This building is for organizing religious and praying activities.
3. Things to do in Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda
3.1. Visit the temple
Sightseeing is an indispensable activity when visiting most temples. Because most pagodas in Hue are not only places to practice Buddhist culture, but they also have large sections organized into beautiful gardens.
Visiting the temple makes us feel relaxed, forget daily worries, and let our souls blend into the quiet space of the Buddha’s region.
3.2. Take pictures
With the beautiful scenery of the Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda campus, don’t miss out on beautiful photos to keep as souvenirs and share with friends.
Every corner of the temple can create a beautiful frame, and what you have to do is click the camera button. That is why this place has become one of the unmissable meeting points of Hue photography associations.
3.3. Pray
A sacred place can play a vital role in helping your prayer come true. And, Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda is the right one for Buddhists to visit and send sincere prayers to Buddha.
You can pray for peace, togetherness, and the best for yourself, your family, and your friends’ happiness.
3.4. Conquer Hon Vuon peak
If Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda is located halfway up the mountain, Hon Vuon is at the top of the opposite hill.
Hon Vuon Peak is in front, slightly to the right compared to the main temple. Many travelers stop at the pagoda and conquer Hon Vuon Peak for an exciting exercise when coming here. The path to Hon Vuon is right opposite the parking lot.
Hon Vuon Peak is 300m above sea level, and climbing time is about 3 – 4 hours, including going and coming back. Therefore, you need to be healthy and have good climbing skills to conquer Hon Vuon (the Gibbon mountain). In addition, you should go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the harsh summer heat in Hue, but not let it dark.
4. Note when visiting the temple:
- Don’t run around, and don’t talk loudly or laugh excessively.
- Do not pick flowers or break branches in the temple area or on the way.
- Do not burn trash or smoke to avoid forest fires.
- Do not throw trash indiscriminately. If you bring food, wrap it carefully.
- Some areas are the private regions of the monks, so you should respect and stop in front of the sign.
- If you combine to conquer Hon Vuon Peak, go with friends. Please do not go alone because of safety! At the same time, prepare enough drinking water and energy-rich snacks such as sweets for your journey.