Hung Kings festival draws massive crowd in Vietnam

Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang (third from left, front) and senior officials attend the worship ceremony at 6 a.m. on April 6.  

After the ceremony, five rounds of security are in place to deal with the yearly hustle. 

Festival goers wait for worship time by the main entrance. "My neighbors have been here for several days. But I only want to see the joy on the main day," said Nguyen Thi Bieu  from Phu Tho. 

At 7:10 a.m., barriers are lifted and the early birds start to rush in to beat the crowd forming behind them. An estimated 1 million pigrims are expected on April 6 alone.

Police ask a group to wait to avoid creating gridlocks.

An elderly woman needs help to climb up the stairs to reach the main worship site, where she and others can pay homage to the forefathers with offerings and prayers. 

At the foot of the hill, thousands have arrived, moving very slowly. It could take hours for them to reach the main site. 

A man carries his daughter on the shoulders to make sure she can get some air.