Thousands of spring pilgrims are flooding Perfume (Huong) Pagoda in Hanoi ahead of the pagoda's month-long festival that officially commences Thursday. 

The Perfume Pagoda festival is one of the most popular in Hanoi, with tens of thousands of pilgrims visiting the site via boat along Yen Stream to celebrate spring.

Overcrowding has become common at Perfume Pagoda, in Huong Son Commune, situated amidst mountains and forests. The grand festival attracts hundreds of thousands of Buddhists in the early days of Lunar New Year.

Visitors await a boat near Trinh Temple, the first stop towards Perfume Pagoda.

On Hoi Bridge, police officials ensure boats operate safely and are equipped with life-jackets.

Huge crowds wait hours to catch a cable car ride to Huong Tich Cave, the heart of Huong Son Complex. Tickets cost VND180,000 ($7.74).

Pilgrims proceed slowly uphill about 100 meters from the Huong Tich entrance, taking around two hours to reach the cave.

A man holds a nylon bag of fruit offerings to the gods while stuck in line. 

A little girl sleeps on her father's shoulder as her family queue for luck.

The Huong Tich Cave had no empty space on Tuesday, two days before the festival officially opens. 

At the entrance to the cave, the words "Nam Thien De Nhat Dong" (The Best Cave in the South Sky) was carved in 1770 by Lord Trinh Sam of the Trinh family that ruled the country at the time.

To get to Huong Tich Cave, people spend total VND130,000 ($5.59), including entry ticket and ferry ticket and then climb over a kilometer of mountain road. 

According to festival organizers, the pagoda has welcomed 8,000 pilgrims over the past three days during Vietnam’s longest spring festival.

Visitors try to catch some lucky water dripping from the cave’s stalagmites.

The Perfume Pagoda festival lasts from the sixth day of the first lunar month to the last day of the third lunar month, that is, from January 30 to April 22 this year.