866-501-7477 info@vexploretours.com
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Footsteps to Yen Tu Mountain

V’Explore is always at the forefront of knowledge in offering the best and most unique travel experiences for your client’s varied interests.
 
This month, we highlight a little known and extraordinary cultural destination that has not long been open to the public, Yen Tu Mountain Area.

Yen Tu Mountain is a complex of temples and pagodas located in a remote pine tree carpeted mountainous jungle in the northeast province of Quang Ninh, Vietnam. Yen Tu Mountain is about 49 miles from Halong Bay and 62 miles from Hanoi. It is considered a holy land for millions of Vietnamese Buddhists. At the same time, it offers spectacular views. A journey to Yen Tu Mountain offers the traveler a chance to understand the rich culture, history, and spiritual life of Vietnam dating back to the 12th century. The area is often surrounded by mist and conveys an absolute calm and mysticism. This is the birthplace of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism.

A cable car takes you most of the way up to the thirty-five-hundred-foot summit. There is an additional path to reach the very top. You may also hike up the mountain on a more arduous journey. Yen Tu is the highest peak in north-eastern Vietnam and a sanctuary for monks and others to search for solitude and reach for the heavens. It came to prominence in 1299 when the heroic Emperor of Vietnam, Tran Nhan Tong, abdicated to practice Buddhism and achieve enlightenment here. He was known as a strong and just ruler, winning two wars against invading Mongols. Along the way, you can visit various pagodas, including the Hue Quang Golden Stupa of King Tran Nhan Tong considered as the gathering place of the prosperous spirit of this mountain. Mot Mai Pagoda is a unique structure built on the side of a mountain, with half of it hidden inside a deep cave and the other half exposed outside. It is named after its partial roof. One of the most beautiful pagodas along the way is Hoa Yen Pagoda, nearly 1000 years old. This is where the retired king meditated and preached. A journey that remains incomplete without a visit to Dong Pagoda, situated on the mountain’s peak, one of Vietnam’s most respected temples made of copper, hence the name.
 
Yen Tu Mountain Area is a place of spectacular beauty and promotes a profound soul-calming experience. It also has a diverse array of flora and fauna, some on the verge of extinction. Visiting the wondrous Yen Tu Mountain is a remarkable experience and offers one of the most important historical, cultural, and spiritual experiences in the country for locals and international visitors as well.


V’Explore Tours is about experiencing Exotic Southeast Asia at its best. We are a company of enthusiastic and passionate professionals who place great attention on the art of travelling, great cultural experience and reveal of incredible hidden heritages of our region.

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