On 19/2 (the 3rd day of Tet), long lines of tourists queued to visit the Thung Ui tourist area despite the rain.
Long Khanh, a Hanoi tour guide, who led a tour group to Bai Dinh - Thung Ui that morning, had to proactively depart at 5 h to avoid traffic jams. Originally, the group planned to visit Bai Dinh first but later changed to Thung Ui.
Currently, the ticket counter at Thung Ui is not yet complete, so visitors must purchase tickets at the Bai Dinh Pagoda bus station ticket booth, then travel 5 km by oto to Thung Ui. Khanh's group was among the first visitors to Thung Ui, so they waited about 20 minutes to enter. Subsequent groups waited an average of more than 40 minutes, and during peak hours, they had to "move inch by inch."
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Tourists queued in long lines waiting to enter the Thung Ui tourist area on the morning of the 3rd day of Tet. *Photo: NVCC.*
The Ngoc lake boat station area was also crowded with waiting visitors, with an average wait of about 20 minutes per turn. The complex of historical relics, Dan Kinh Thien, associated with sky worship rituals during the Dinh, Early Le, and Ly dynasties, was almost completely packed with tourists, with many groups complaining it was "very difficult to take photos."
Thung Ui - located in the core zone of the Trang An World Cultural and Natural Heritage Complex, Ninh Binh - officially opened on 17/2 (the first day of Tet). This destination had attracted tourist interest for many months prior. It stands out with its ancient landscape and many beautiful photo opportunities, and travel companies predict it will become a major tourist attraction in the north in the coming time.
According to Bui Duc Tuan, owner of a traditional costume rental shop in Thung Ui, despite the large crowds, the management board arranged for coordinators, preventing any chaotic pushing or shoving.
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Crowds of people visiting Bai Dinh Pagoda on the afternoon of the 3rd day of Tet. *Photo: Long Khanh.*
"With a new and popular tourist spot like Thung Ui, it is very difficult to avoid crowds during Tet, so visitors need to plan to go early to reduce waiting time," he said.
In the Bai Dinh Pagoda area, visitors flocking for spring outings were as numerous as every year but were more professionally coordinated, so no pushing or shoving occurred. Meanwhile, at the Trang An scenic spot complex, tourists queued for kilometers to board boats, with many waiting two to three hours for their turn.
Ngoc Huyen, a tourist from Nam Dinh, could not book tickets online from the evening of 18/2 because the system was closed. On the afternoon of 19/2, she arrived to buy tickets directly, waiting for over one hour without her turn, and then would have had to wait an additional two hours to get on a boat. Huyen's group decided to give up and leave.
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Crowds packed the entrance to the Trang An scenic spot complex on the morning of the 3rd day of Tet. *Photo: Tuan Vu.*
From 14/2 to 19/2 (the 27th day of Tet to the 3rd day of Tet), Ninh Binh province welcomed over 1,3 million visitors, including over 1,1 million domestic tourists. Last year, statistics from the 26th day of Tet to the 2nd day of Tet showed Ninh Binh only welcomed about 700,000 visitors.
Hoai Anh
