A SPRING PILGRIMAGE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AT HUONG PAGODA

As the 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival approaches, Center for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD), in partnership with the People’s Committee of Huong Son Commune, Hanoi, has launched a forest-awareness campaign along the main pilgrimage route. Twelve conservation signboards have been installed at key forest entrances and residential areas bordering Huong Son Special-use Forest—a site of both spiritual significance and high biodiversity value.

From left to right:

Figure 1: Community group on the white-buttocked langur monitoring route in Huong Son forest.

Figure 2: During the first month of the Huong Pagoda Festival in 2025, the Huong Son Scenic Landscape Complex welcomed 542,676 visitors.

The initiative seeks to inspire visitors and local communities to protect endangered wildlife, respect environmental laws, and recognize the ecological importance of Huong Son’s unique limestone landscape.

Since 2021, CCD and its partners have supported conservation efforts in the forest through community-based approaches. A community-based monitoring group has been established to help safeguard the critically endangered Delacour’s langur, conducting regular field observations and reporting changes to local authorities. Conservation messages are also shared through pagoda loudspeakers, radio broadcasts, and information boards placed along pilgrimage routes and nearby communities—ensuring that environmental awareness reaches both residents and the millions of seasonal visitors.

Looking ahead, CCD will expand outreach activities in schools and local communities surrounding the forest, strengthening understanding of biodiversity conservation and related legislation. Through these sustained efforts, the organization hopes that each spring visitor will not only seek blessings for the new year, but also contribute to preserving the natural heritage that makes Huong Son a place of both spiritual and ecological harmony.