If immersing yourself in local Vietnamese culture is your jam, a visit to Phù Châu “Floating” Temple might well be on the cards for you during this coming lunar year of the dragon. A 300-year-old temple emerging from a wee island that is only accessible by local ferry? An interesting drawcard in itself. But wait, there’s definitely more.
Prepare to be gobsmacked up on arrival. The temple is alive with dragons – apparently up to 100 of them. With those sorts of numbers, they can be found are everywhere – greeting you as you arrive, on the rooftop and adorning the temple walls, ceiling and pillars.
And if that wasn’t enough, almost every surface of the building’s interior has been decorated with mosaic tiles. It’s a little bit gaudy, a little bit kitsch, and a whole lot of colour and chaos. I’m recommending not to visit with a hangover.
While there are no official records, the temple is thought to have been constructed during the late 18th or early 19th century. According to online news purveyor, Saigoneer (https://saigoneer.com/), local legend has it that a fisherman accidentally netted a statue of the Queen of the Sea (Bà Thủy Tề), and the temple was built to pay respect and pray for good luck and nature’s blessings. Another claim is that the fisherman found a woman who had drowned, buried her body on the island and built the temple to pay homage to her. His life and luck was said to have improved significantly after the temple’s construction.
With the year of the dragon approaching soon, my guess is that this will be a particularly auspicious place to visit over the coming 12 months.
Phù Châu “Floating” Temple is located in Go Vap district, approximately 9 km from central Ho Chi Minh City, which can take between 40 minutes and up to 1 hour by motorbike or car.
Additional information:
For more fascinating insights about the temple and its history, check this link by Saigoneer.
And this local news site has some lovely, detailed images of the temple.
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