Thien Hau Pagoda

Ho Chi Minh City is so packed with worshiping sites like churches, pagodas, and mosques that in every ten meters, you'll encounter one. There's no shortage of new styles, but there are also some ancient ones that have been standing for hundreds of years. Let's say Thien Hau Pagoda was built by the Chinese in the early 19th century to honor the goddess Thien Hau, the Lady of the Sea. 

Inside the pagoda, an altar dedicated to the goddess is placed in a partially covered courtyard, which contains a burner and large coils of amazing incense suspended overhead - some are quite large with a more-than-a-meter diameter and can burn up to a month. Cast some donations. You can have your own coil lit and hung from the ceilings as well. The porcelain dioramas that decorate the roof and walls are sure to be worth a long look. They show scenes from a 19th-century Chinese city and include colorful figures, duels on horseback, arena fighting, and divine symbols like dragons and turtles. The pungent aroma of burning incense and its swirling pale white smoke encircled the interior with devout faces of worshipers exuding an ambiance of myth.

The temple is close to the China Town. In the area, visitors can easily hop to other famous sites like Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace, Jade Emperor Pagoda, History Museum, War Remnants Museum, and Ben Thanh Market.

Vietnam is bordered by Cambodia, a Buddhist country that delivers a different taste of Asia. If you wish to explore the two at one time, see this 14 - Day Best of Vietnam & Cambodia Tour.