Crowds of people waiting to watch the parade in Ho Chi Minh City

Early morning of April 30, before the official parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). People continuously poured into Ton Duc Thang, Le Loi, Nguyen Hue walking streets... lying scattered, jostling each other, serious traffic jams, functional forces strained to regulate.

People continuously poured into Bach Dang wharf. Photo: Thuy Tien

According to the reporter, at more than 3 am, the sea of people and vehicles was jammed, stretching for many kilometers. On both sides of the road, people sat and lay down waiting to watch the parade, causing traffic jams. Ambulances honked loudly, while motorbikes, cars, and pickup trucks turned off their engines to "bear the blow".

People crowded Nguyen Hue walking street. Photo: Thuy Tien

On Ton Duc Thang Street, Nguyen Hue Walking Street... people were sitting on the sidewalks and the streets, creating a crowded, cramped scene that left many adults and children exhausted. Many people, exhausted, spread out tarps to rest in the middle of the street, at the bus stop.

Coming with friends to watch the parade early, Mr. Nguyen Huu Luan (Di An city, Binh Duong province) said: "I came here with friends at 5 pm, when I arrived, this area was quite crowded, but I didn't think that at this time, there would be so many people flocking to Bach Dang wharf area."

Authorities had to work hard to regulate traffic, even though barriers and traffic diversions had been put in place early, the influx of people was so large that many roads were almost paralyzed.

Dong Khoi Street connecting Ton Duc Thang (District 1) is almost paralyzed. Photo: Thuy Tien

Despite the crowd, people still waited patiently. However, due to the long wait, some families with young children and the elderly had to leave early in regret.

"Today, my family and I came here early to watch the parade. We have been to the preliminary and final rehearsals before. Now, the crowd is too large, 2-3 times larger than the previous rehearsals. We also wanted to wait to see the official parade, but now my baby is quite "tired", so our family decided to go home. Because it was so crowded, we had to ask the police to lead the way out of the central area," said Ms. Vu Thi Anh (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City).

Thuy Tien

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/tin-moi/202504/bien-nguoi-ket-cung-cho-xem-dieu-binh-o-thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-d0237f0/