Following a New Year tradition, a boy throws money into a well at the Con Son temple in Hanoi’s neighboring Hai Duong Province

Even non-believers enjoy the Tet atmosphere at local pagodas during the New Year holidays.

Cold rains over the Tet Lunar New Year Festival did not deter locals from flooding Hanoi pagodas to pray for good luck and happiness.

Hanoians, both believers and nonbelievers, often visit West Lake Temple near the famous West Lake to pray for prosperity and success in business.

Ha Pagoda in Cau Giay District is where they go to pray for love while the Temple of Literature is for those praying for knowledge and success in school.

“I go to the pagoda every Tet to pray for good health and business success for my whole family,” said Nguyen Thu Ha, a garment trader at Dong Xuan market.

“Last year, my business faced a lot of difficulties. I pray it will be better this year,” Ha said, putting some fruit and joss papers on a dish before deferentially placing them on an altar with spiraling incense and candles at the West Lake Temple.

At Buddhist altars, some worshippers knelt down and some sat on straw mats, whispering prayers. A monk struck a bell every so often adding to the solemnity. The scent of flowers and incense wafted in through the open, latticed windows.

Nearby, some people gathered round a man wearing a black long dress and turban, waiting for him to write their wishes in Chinese characters to place on the altar.

Meanwhile, others stood at a furnace burning fake money and paper luxuries for the dead, including joss papers,

paper motorbikes, cars and even two or three story houses, as a way of sending the gifts to their ancestors.

Though the government has called on people to end the practice to avoid property damage, waste and pollution, the people have carried on their traditions.

Some locals, especially youths, visit pagodas not only for prayer but to learn more about the country’s history and culture.

“I want to know more about the historical values entrenched at the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university,” said Nguyen Thi Hue city, a student at Hanoi National University. “The temple is one of the city’s most beautiful monuments,” she said.

Meanwhile, some people like Le Nam and his

friends visit pagodas for sightseeing only. They eagerly started their trip by motorbike to the Huong Pagoda (Perfume Pagoda) in My Duc District at 3 a.m.

“The Huong Pagoda is famous for its beauty. We want to see the landscape and enjoy the fresh atmosphere of the mountains and forests there,” he said, pushing his way through the crowd of people who were jostling to buy tickets at the Yen River leading to the pagoda.

The holidays are a golden money making opportunity for dozens of restaurant owners near the pagoda, like Nguyen Phu Thanh. “Every day, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. to receive guests. Tired but happy,” he smiled, adding that his wife and their two sons have temporarily halted their own jobs to help him during Tet.

Hundreds of makeshift shops selling souvenirs, prayer items and worship items line the road to the pagoda during Tet, which is also when the Perfume Pagoda Festival begins. Tens of thousands of visitors arrive at the site on popular days during the two-month festival.

Buddhism is the largest religion in Vietnam. To date, there are some 40,000 registered Buddhist monks and nuns and around 10 million active and practicing Buddhist followers in the country. Vietnam is home to some 14,500 places of Buddhist worship, according to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

Despite being non-believers, many people go to pagodas and temples every Tet with their own wishes and ambitions for a better life.

“I don’t think that prayers at Buddhist altars will become true, but I come here seeking that peaceful feeling. It helps people live better,” construction engineer Nguyen Van Nam said. He was inching his way along the congested one-kilometer road leading to the West Lake Temple.

Reported by Bao Anh