Quan Am Pagoda

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City Edu and I figured out a plan of attack, and decided that today was the day of Pagoda-visiting. We went to the pagoda hub in Cholon area. Here we saw 4 pagodas… eventually. We got lost more than once in the maze of streets where commonly streets have different names, depending on which end of the street you enter - maddening at times!

But we figured it out in time. First up, Quan Am Pagoda.This was one of the larger pagoda's we visited and also one of the more popular. The smell of burning incense from the spirals hanging from the ceiling to the handfuls of sticks each patron was holding as part f their worshiping ritual was quite overpowering. To the point where I had to duck out and get air and rest by burning teary eyes.

The decoration was fantastical. Like this tiger protruding out of a wall.

Dragon walls and bundles of incense sticks below.

Loved this tiger that almost looks like a dog.

What you can't tell from these pictures is the circular disc behind these statues rotated giving the effect of a Vegas sign. It was quite awesome. The decoration was so kitsch, I loved all of it.

Here you can get an idea of just how many incense sticks and spirals were burning at once. This is just one corridor in the temple.

Outside the temple there were many people selling offerings for the gods. This seemed to change at each temple, though the lotus flower was popular at all.

This woman is selling incense in all shapes and sizes, plus fake money and messages of prayer. All in all fascinating.