The festival, which lasts for three months, attracts hundreds of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the country as well as many overseas Vietnamese. Visitors come to enjoy the beauty of the Huong Son limestone mountains at a time when apricot trees blossom and to pay tribute to Buddha, specifically to Avalokitasvara, one of Buddha's disciples.

During the opening ceremony, many folk art performances were held by local artists and people.

Legend says that the festival is to worship a princess named Dieu Thien who incarnated Avalokitasvara and attained enlightenment there. As the princess was born on the 19^th day of the second lunar month, that date is now observed by all Vietnamese Buddhists as a saint day. The shrine in which she practised her religion was discovered in the 15^th century by three monks. However, it was not until 1687 when the Superior Bonze Tran Dao Vien Quang came to the place, and Huong Son (Perfume Mountain) was transformed into a major Buddhist sanctuary and the greatest place of worship for Buddhists in Vietnam.

The pilgrimage to Huong Son dwindled to a trickle during the war years and the temples and shrines were left vacant. In 1958, after the restoration of peace in North Vietnam, the Government and President Ho Chi Minh personally gave an instruction for the repair of the pagodas and temples and the restoration of the festival.

Ha Tay’s recent infrastructure work included dredging 1.2 km of the Yen Spring at a total cost of more than VND 9.4 billion, upgrading 1.8 km of road from My Duc district to Huong Son commune costing VND3.5 billion and accomplishing the cable car system from Thien Tru pagoda to Huong Tich cave totally capitalised at VND76 billion.

The cable car system - which spans 1,200 metres, from Thien Tru pagoda, stops at Giai Oan Pagoda, and ends at Huong Tich cave, is expected to reduce congestion during the festival.