Thousands of people have flocked to Phuc Khanh Pagoda in Hanoi and prayed outside despite the rain to mark Vu Lan and the Amnesty of Unquiet Spirits Festival.
Vu Lan and the Amnesty of Unquiet Spirits are celebrated on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month. The month is devoted to the spirits of the dead. Vu Lan is more popular in the southern region and is traditionally considered an important event to praise motherly love.
The festival this year fell on August 16. Since 5pm, the authorities had to block traffic from a section of Tay Son Street that is in front of Phuc Khanh Pagoda and directed drivers to use the overpass.
Despite the rain, a large number of people, with children and old people, went out to the street to celebrate the festival.
People crowd Tay Son Street
Quynh Loi Pagoda celebrates Vu Lan Festival