Located in Cho Lon area, the land is known as a miniature “Chinatown” in the heart of Saigon, is a place where mostly the “Hoa community” lives (one of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam originated from China). In which, Thien Hau Temple is one of the most typical works representing a unique and different culture of the Hoa community in this multicultural city. Thien Hau Temple is known as one of the oldest Hoa places of worship in Saigon. The temple was built in the mid 70s of the 18th century. Over 260 years of existence, the temple still retains the most pristine architectural features regardless of the effects of time. Therefore, in 1993, this place was honored to be recognized as a national architectural and artistic monument.
Thien Hau Temple where the Hoa community worship “ Lady Thien Hau”, a brief history of Lady Thien Hau whose real name is Lam Mac Nuong was born on March 23, 1044 in China. With nearly 14 months of being born, different from mortals, she has received the attention of many people in the area. Besides, despite her young age, she has shown her natural ability in many fields. The Hoa worship Lady Thien Hau to express their sincere gratitude for helping them to travel safely and smoothly from Guangdong China to Vietnam. Furthermore, they also have the belief that thanks to her epiphany, they can overcome all difficulties and obstacles to settle down. During the process of Chinese coming and living in Vietnam, the religious culture of worshiping Lady Thien Hau was also introduced.
Spiritual culture is a special heritage of the Vietnamese people, containing many unique traditions and values that need to be studied, preserved and promoted. With 4000 years of history of formation and development, Vietnam possesses many unique spiritual values such as: religious ceremonies, architectural works bearing spiritual imprints, or more than 9,000 cultural festivals from national to local level every year. Besides, with its special geographical position, Vietnam also acquires and transforms to enrich the spiritual life with many other cultural values from the world. And Thien Hau Temple is the most outstanding example. It can be seen that when entering Vietnam, foreign religions and beliefs are in harmony with the local culture.
