Taking advantage of a 4-day weekend in celebration of National Day (September 2), thousands of people rushed out of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of September 1, resulting in heavy traffic along major routes.

From 4pm, bus stations in Hanoi started getting busy

Most buses quickly became overloaded

My Dinh Bus Station was already packed by 4:30pm

Waiting for buses at Giap Bat Bus Station

Traffic on Pham Hung Road

Vehicles moving very slowly on Truong Chinh Road

Nguyen Trai Road, one of the city\'s main gateways

By 6pm, traffic virtually came to a standstill at many points.

In Ho Chi Minh City, traffic was no better

Vehicles crept along on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Road

Binh Trieu crossroads packed during a holiday rush hour

This ambulance had no way to get through the thick traffic

Too many vehicles for such a small lane