Bronze Pagoda
At the summit.
Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Liftold (thảo luận) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thuydaonguyen — Public domain · Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Thang Nguyen from Nottingham, United Kingdom — CC BY-SA 2.0
Yên Tử is a mountain range in northeastern Vietnam spanning Quảng Ninh, Bắc Ninh and Hải Phòng, and also the name of its highest peak at 1,068 metres, about 41 km west of Hạ Long city in a straight line. The mountain is linked with the Trần dynasty and with the Trúc Lâm school of Buddhism. In 1299 Emperor Trần Nhân Tông came to Yên Tử after giving up the throne, built temples, hermitages and towers, and founded the Trúc Lâm school, a branch of Buddhism with a Vietnamese character that survives today. Over the centuries the mountain was one of the country's Buddhist centres. It is now part of the Yên Tử, Vĩnh Nghiêm, Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc complex on UNESCO's World Heritage List. A long stone path climbs through dense forest and gnarled old trees, past wooden temples with curved roofs and old stone towers. At the summit stands the Bronze Pagoda, built entirely of bronze and weighing about 70 tonnes, with views over rolling mountain ridges that are often wrapped in mist. Visitors climb the long stairway on foot or take the cable car for much of the way, then walk the last stretch to the summit. The mountain gets crowded on holidays and during pilgrimage seasons. Dress and behave respectfully at the religious sites, and wear shoes suited to the steps.
At the summit.
Through the forest.
And mist.
Yên Tử Mountain, Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
Yes, for much of the way.
Modest clothes and shoes suited to steps.