People in Hanoi, HCMC flock to pagodas on New Year’s Day

Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi’s Tay Ho District was crowded Tuesday morning with people coming to seek divine blessings, a Vietnamese tradition during New Year.

Most visitors at Quan Su Pagoda in Hoan Kiem District kept a distance from others and wore masks as Covid-19 safety measures.

A majority of visitors said they prayed for peace amid Covid-19.

With the Phu Tay Ho temple on Dang Thai Mai Street closed to prevent gatherings, visitors had to pray from outside.

Officials kept reminding people not to gather. Hanoi leads the country in the number of daily Covid cases -- 2,870 on average during each of the last seven days.

In HCMC, people gathered at the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in District 3 at midnight to pray to the Buddha.

The Chinese community in District 5 showed up at Ba Thien Hau Pagoda to pray from 6 a.m. Everyone had to fill in details about their movements in the previous days.

Barriers set up to organize queues.

Some people came and poured oil in lamps as a form of prayer. Some Buddhists believe this brings enlightenment and sharp wit.

Tran Huyen Trang, 30, released birds from a cage in front of the pagoda, a tradition of showing compassion to other creatures to receive blessings.

She said: “I have gone through a difficult year. I hope I will have peace this year”.