While visitors complain about extremely high prices of services near Huong (Perfume) Pagoda, the sellers there argue that visitors do not fully understand the situation.

Shop employee brags of charging a group VND6.3 million

Recently, Nguyen Thi Hanh, a visitor from Thanh Hoa Province, reportedly paid VND320,000 (USD15) for a small pot of tea at a shop near Huong Tich Cave. When asked about the high price, the owners replied, "It's hard work to bring water up here."

A woman who manages a boat on the Yen Stream advised visitors to always ask prices before using services, and an employee of the tea shop near the cave admitted to charging higher prices for customers who don't ask beforehand. "If a customer asks the price of an egg we tell them it is VND12,000, but if they order one and then ask for the bill we'll charge VND25,000. What can they do to us?" the employee said.

According to one local, the costs of products and services near the pagoda are indeed higher than in other places, partially because of transport fees. She adds, however, that extreme cases of price gouging are rare. "Shops near Ben Tro Dock have lower prices than shops on the way to Huong Tich Cave. The shops there need to hire people to carry the goods up or they must carry it themselves. They are banned from using the cable car system."

Nguyen Chi Thanh, head of the manager board of Huong Pagoda said, "Visitors should be mindful of prices, but also aware that it takes a lot of time and effort to transport materials and goods from Ben Tro Dock to set up a shop near Huong Tich Cave. On the other hand, sellers there should do a better job of explaining this to customers. There was a group of visitors who brought their own food and wine but sat inside a shop."

However, even Thanh has to wonder about the prices at the shop mentioned above and said he would look into the matter.