At midday on February 23, the seventh day of the first lunar month, the temple was packed with locals and tourists offering incense. Roads leading to the site were frequently congested due to the surge in visitors.
Outside the gate, dozens of calligraphers prepared prayer texts for worshippers.
Despite cool weather and drizzle, crowds continued to swell, coinciding with the first day many offices and businesses resumed work after Tet. Many office workers in formal attire used their lunch break to perform year-opening rituals.
By 12.30 pm, thousands had filled the front courtyard for ceremonies.
Inside the temple grounds, people moved cautiously, step by step, holding offerings in their hands or balanced on their heads. Some were forced to bow from a distance because of the overcrowding.
In front of the main hall, two-tiered offering tables were densely covered with incense, flowers and votive papers. Worshippers carrying trays squeezed through the crowd to approach the altar.
The atmosphere inside the main hall was even more cramped than the courtyard, with people standing shoulder to shoulder as they took turns to light incense and pray at the start of the year.
Duong Thi Thanh, from Dan Phuong Commune, said she visited during her lunch break to pray for good fortune. Visiting temples at the beginning of the year has been her long-standing tradition after each Tet holiday.
“For the new year, I only wish for my family to be peaceful, for my work to go smoothly, and for my parents to have good health,” she said. “It was crowded and I had to wait quite a while to get inside, but after completing the ceremony, I feel more at ease.”
By the water’s edge outside the courtyard, people released birds, fish and snails into West Lake.
As the afternoon progressed, the number of visitors continued to rise.