Hanoi (VNA) – This year’s Huong Pagoda Festival
in the suburban area of Hanoi welcomed approximately 1.4 million tourists, up
6,000 from the same period last year and including about 7,800 foreign
visitors, according to the People’s Committee of My Duc district.
The district has earned nearly 175 billion VND from
ticket sales, the committee announced at a conference on June 14 to review the
organisation of the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam that lasts through
three spring months.
The organising board has increased inspection around the
Huong Pagoda to prevent any activity having bad effects on the religious space
while vendors were banned from setting up shops or booths near worship areas,
like pagodas, temples, shrines and caves.
Inspection groups have seized over 300 books with superstition
contents, 120 pirate discs, 450 illegal toy guns, six fortune telling
advertisement signs and ten illegal advertisement banners in the festival
areas. They also suspended operation of unlicensed traditional medical clinics.
Good security and improved traffic in both road and
waterway have given visitors better experience. Local police have detained ten
people for illegal soliciting travellers to buy goods or use services and fined
32 others for boat overloading or not having a garbage container on their
boats.
Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee Nguyen
Van Hau vowed for the district to keep up such good works during the coming
festivals.
The district is asking the Prime Minister’s approval to
recognise the Huong Son relic site as a national special relic.-VNA
