On the first day of the National Day holiday on August 29, despite hot and muggy conditions and harsh sunshine in Hanoi, roads around Ba Dinh Square were packed with people and vehicles heading there for sightseeing and photographs.
Doc Lap Road, in front of Ba Dinh Square, was crowded from early morning with residents and visitors of all ages.
Many chose traditional ao dai and brought national flags to take photographs marking the 81st anniversary of Vietnam's National Day.
Every street corner and the most sought-after photo spots facing the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum were crowded with people waiting their turn.
A young couple chose Ba Dinh Square for their wedding photographs, capturing memorable moments during one of the country’s most important occasions.
Bao Ngoc’s family, from Thanh Xuan Ward, arrived at Ba Dinh Square to take photographs together in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
"This is the first time our daughter has come to Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum to take photographs with her parents. The whole family wore red shirts with yellow stars and joined the joyful, solemn atmosphere of the country. I feel very proud and happy to be Vietnamese," Ngoc said.
Many young people from Hanoi’s outlying areas also made the journey in, bringing national flags and wearing red-and-yellow outfits to check in along Doc Lap Road and around Ba Dinh Square.
Dao Nhung and a group of friends from Haiphong travelled more than 100 kilometres to Hanoi from early morning to visit the area and take photographs in front of Ba Dinh Square.
"On this meaningful occasion, our group decided to wear youth volunteer uniforms, boonie hats and chequered scarves for photographs in front of Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum," Nhung said.
Around Hoan Kiem Lake, shaded pedestrian areas were chosen by many families taking young children out to play and stroll on the first day of the holiday.
Large numbers of young women queued for their turn to take photos at the flower gardens.
This year’s National Day holiday lasts five consecutive days from August 29 to September 2. Many families and young people have chosen to stay in the capital rather than leave the city, while visitors from other provinces and cities have added to the crowds, making Hanoi’s leisure and tourist sites even busier.
