Hundreds of people stayed overnight at Saigon Station on December 19, waiting to buy tickets in order to visit their hometowns for Tet.

At 10:00 p.m, the station corridor was crowded with people waiting. Most of them were students, workers and poor labourers from localities far from HCM City.

All the stone benches along the corridor were used by people who needed a bit of rest. Many of them even lied on the station’s main gate for the fear of missing the chance of purchasing a ticket.

Nguyen Hoang Long in nothern Ha Nam Province said, “I came here at 10pm, after I got the information about the sale opening early next morning. But I'm still not sure whether I could get a ticket to return home on Tet.”

At 2:50 a.m on December 20, the station opened its doors, and more than 350 people elbowed one another to get to the second floor.

At 5am on the same day, the station started giving out numbers to customers to keep order.

Waiting for the ticket sale opening early next morning

Every corner of the station occupied

Sleeping on a stone bench

Sleeping in a flower garden near the station

Many slept under trees, station yards or the main gate

Many did not sleep for the fear of missing their turn

Racing to the second floor to get turn when the station opened

Finding a seat to wait

Exhausted