Visitors to Perfume pagoda must drive through Ha Dong city, Van Dinh township to Ben Duc (pier Duc). The road is in poor condition so it can take more than 2 hours to travel the 50 miles from Hanoi to Ben Duc. Although there is a road from the pier to the base of Perfume mountain, most people choose to use row boats on Yen Vi river, which is by far the more romantic and scenic route to chua Huong.
Chua Huong is famous for the annual pilgrimage of Buddhists. Every year, between February and March, Hoi Chua Huong or Chua Huong festival draws hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country. The festival is also a very popular place for young couples to meet and it is also a place where many budding romances are formed. During this time of the year, Ben Duc is packed with thousands of row boats used for shuttling visitors.
For some, this one-hour boat ride on the Yen Vi river is the highlight of the trip. It is also the source of inspiration of many famous poems.
