Many local residents in Hanoi had stood waiting for President Barack Obama, while others have sent their greetings to the U.S. leader online, before his arrival on Sunday's evening.

>> Very first photos of US President Obama in Hanoi

Since early in the afternoon on Sunday, Hanoi residents began gathering outside Noi Bai International Airport, hoping to see the motorcade of the U.S. president when they leave the airdrome.

Others stood waiting along streets connecting the airport with JW Marriott Hotel on Do Duc Duc Street with the same purpose.

"We know that President Obama will arrive in Hanoi tonight so we are waiting here to witness the motorcade," a man named Nguyen Van Binh said.

President Obama arrived on his Air Force One at 9:30 pm, and quickly left the airport for JW Marriott Hotel on his presidential car, The Beast.

Locals still waited in crowd and cheered when the motorcade drove past them.

There are two ways to go from the airport to the hotel, either via Nhat Tan Bridge or Thang Long Bridge. The motorcade eventually chose the second choice, stripping those waiting on Nhat Tan Bridge the chance to see the U.S. delegate.

In the meantime, many readers of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper have extended their welcome greetings to the U.S. president via the daily’s website.

“Welcome President Obama to visit Vietnam. I wish you health and a lot of good memories in my country,” Minh Le wrote.

Another reader, Song Trem, believes that Obama “will see how peaceful Vietnam is, how friendly and peace-loving the Vietnamese are” and that the U.S. leader will “have great feelings and memories about our country.”

The official program of the visit will begin on Monday morning.

In Hanoi, the U.S. president is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese leaders including State President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Community Party of Vietnam. He is likely to also meet with Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the new chairperson of Vietnam’s lawmaking National Assembly.

On Tuesday (May 24), Obama will give a speech to the Vietnamese people before leaving Hanoi for Ho Chi Minh City.

In Ho Chi Minh City, will visit the Jade Pagoda in District 1, attend an entrepreneurship event, and host a town hall with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). After that, Obama will end his Vietnam visit and leave the southern metropolis for Japan for the G7 Summit.

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