Phuoc An Hoi Quan and Jade Emperor Pagodas

[posted by: Stacy]

Today, we went to the Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda, located in Chinatown (in Saigon). Since several different religious sites are located in that area, including a well-known mosque, we meant to visit a few other places. Unfortunately, it started pouring rain. If you've been to SE Asia, you know that the use of the word "pouring" is quite literal. We needed galoshes, ponchos, and umbrellas at minimum - when rain reaches your knees in some spots, it’s kind of impossible to use a map, wade through water, and dodge traffic all at the same time.

The pagoda was “beautifully ornate," as promised by Lonely Planet, complete with wood carvings, ceramic figurines, and interesting Chinese artifacts.

When we arrived, it had just started raining, as you can tell by the rain spots on Doug’s clothes.

There were lit candles and incense everywhere, along with offerings of fruit. The candles gave the scene a tranquil feeling and I felt compelled to turn off my flash and try to capture the moment in its natural state.

Along with ceramic figures, there are large woodcarvings and metalwork throughout the pagoda.

This garden sits just outside the main temple area, under a plastic roof that roars under the rain. The wall art is made of tile, pieced together to make an intricate design.

Just across the walkway hangs this tile artwork.

These brass animals hang from the walls, an interesting connection to the Northwest of the US.

These red objects are large incense coils.

This pagoda is known for its little ceramic objects. These particular ones are located just outside the main temple area.

We had originally planned on walking from pagoda to pagoda, but the torrential downpour outside caused us to rethink our plans. I bravely stood in the rain and hailed a cab (while Doug stood under a walkway to keep out of the rain), and we tried to explain to our driver that we wanted to go to the Quan Am Pagoda, which was supposed to be just down the street. We were drenched, but still excited about seeing more temples. Along the way, we saw people on scooters with rain up to their knees and even our taxi bottomed out at one point. Thank goodness our cab was an SUV with four wheel drive.

The driver didn’t understand where we wanted to go and ended up taking us home. Oh well, we can always explore more later.

You might remember that weekend before last, we visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a Taoist temple dedicated to the Emperor of Jade. This pagoda is quite impressive and beautiful. I have to admit, I felt a bit guilty taking photos at this place of worship. I’m sure that those who come to pray are used to the camera flashes during their meditation and offerings, but something seems inherently wrong in capturing that moment. Nonethless, being the photoholic that I am, I took ample pictures.

It was raining the day we went to the Jade Emperor Pagoda, too, so the outdoor photos were quick and limited. Luckily I was able to get a couple photos of the façade and courtyard.

Doug enjoyed the statues.

Unfortunately, the statues didn’t appreciate Doug’s imitation of them.

Inside, there were several worshippers giving offerings and saying prayers.

Incense is everywhere in this country, but the smell is overwhelmingly strong inside the pagoda.

Elaborate wood carvings and ornamental decorations cover the walls.

Fruit is a common offering to the Toaist gods.

There were no worshippers upstairs, so Doug and I took the opportunity to take some pictures.

The architecture at this particular pagoda was quite beautiful.

We’re looking forward to seeing more of the religious sites throughout the city; it’s amazing how many there are to visit. For now, though, I’m pretty content being in my new apartment, listening to the rain, blogging, and enjoying the quiet of Sunday.