Yên Tử is the sacred mountain of Vietnamese Buddhism, rising to a little over a thousand metres above the coastal plain of Quảng Ninh province, and Hoa Yên Pagoda sits partway up its slopes, among old trees and stone steps, on the pilgrim route to the summit. The mountain's fame goes back to King Trần Nhân Tông, who defeated the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century and then, at the height of his power, gave up the throne, became a monk and retired to Yên Tử, where he founded the Trúc Lâm school of Zen. It became the only uniquely Vietnamese school of Buddhism, and the mountain has been a pilgrimage site ever since.
The ascent is traditionally made on foot, up thousands of steps through forest of bamboo, pine and ancient trees, with pagodas, shrines and stupas along the way, including a garden of stone stupas containing the relics of monks. At the top, a small bronze pagoda sits on the summit rock, often wrapped in cloud. Today there are cable cars for those who prefer, but many pilgrims still walk. During the spring festival, starting in the first lunar month after Tết, the mountain is crowded with tens of thousands of visitors.
The landscape around Yên Tử is green and mountainous, with coal mining towns at its foot, since Quảng Ninh is Vietnam's main coal region. Uông Bí is the nearest city, and the industrial scenery can be a shock after the serenity of the mountain. Ha Long Bay, with its famous limestone islands, is less than an hour's ride to the east.
Riding in Vietnam means joining a river of motorbikes, and the roads around Uông Bí and towards Hải Phòng are busy, noisy and chaotic, with trucks carrying coal and cement. Ride defensively, follow the flow, and keep your horn handy. The road up to the base of Yên Tử is good, climbing gently through the forest. Fuel is easy to find in Uông Bí and along the main roads, as are phở stalls, rice dishes and strong Vietnamese coffee. Summer is hot and humid with typhoons; winter, from December to February, is cool and often misty, which can be beautiful on the mountain but slippery on the roads.