Many families wore traditional ao dai and brought offerings of flowers, fruit and incense, creating a scene rich in Lunar New Year tradition.
Ngoc Hoang Pagoda is famed for prayers for children, love and peace, and gained global attention after a visit by former US President Barack Obama in May 2016.
Crowds continued to swell, leaving parking areas overwhelmed by 9 am, as authorities directed visitors to nearby lots and urged them to walk to the pagoda to ease congestion and maintain order.
Under pagoda rules, each visitor was permitted to light only one small incense stick and place it in a courtyard censer, with the ritual observed in a solemn and respectful atmosphere.
Inside the main hall, visitors did not light incense but clasped their hands in silent prayer before the altar, a rule aimed at ensuring fire safety and preserving the pagoda’s solemn atmosphere.
Duong Ky Duyen, born in 2003 and a resident of Cat Lai Ward, said it was her first time visiting the pagoda with friends on the first day of Tet, hoping for a smooth start to the year ahead.
Small feng shui items such as bodhi leaves and prayer beads were also on sale, drawing buyers seeking keepsakes and good fortune.
Not only local residents but also foreign visitors came to Ngoc Hoang Pagoda on the first day of Tet to experience Vietnam’s early-spring atmosphere. Many donned traditional ao dai and joined the flow of worshippers, adding a vibrant multicultural touch to the scene.
