The long National Day holiday, stretching from August 31 to September 2, has helped fuelled the flow of visitors to popular tourist destinations across the country.

It was no surprise that the mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi was among the most crowded places on this occasion, with nearly 52,000 visitors coming from all corners of the country to pay tribute to the nation’s beloved father during the three-day period.

According to the Management Board of the mausoleum, during the National Day (September 2) alone, as many as 31,643 people queued up for their turn to see the great leader and the famous stilt house where he used to live and work.

In the central region, the complex of ancient royal relics in Hue city in the Thua Thien-Hue province opened to visitors free of charge for the National Day, attracting about 30,000 tourists.

The UNESCO-recognised world cultural heritage site has also launched a promotion month for September with numerous activities such as exhibitions and music shows, while offering lower ticket and service prices, to attract more visitors.

The beautiful beaches and resorts in the southern central province of Binh Thuan drew about 50,000 visitors, while the southern province of An Giang welcomed three times as many tourists from the same period last year who came to worship at local pagodas or enjoy local natural beauty and the unique culture of ethnic communities.-VNA