Best temples to see in Ho Chi Minh – are you ready for some of the most stunning structures in the busiest city?
Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s most bustling city among the 2 other main cities in the country including the capital.
This city is home to awe-striking skyscrapers and scenes, however, despite the advancements, it has maintained the sacred places within its area.
Here are the best temples to see in Ho Chi Minh
Travel tip: make sure to avoid any revealing clothing and maintain the cleanliness of the area as a respect to other devotees.
Thien Hau Temple
The most famous temples to see in Ho Chi Minh is the Thien Hau Temple. It has surpassed the test of time as it was built in the XVIII century by Guangzhou immigrants from China.
The temple is located in District 5 – the Chinatown of the city. Most of its devotees are both Chinese and Vietnamese locals that worship Thien Hau Lady or Lady of the Sea.
Based on Chinese history and belief, Thien Hau Lady protected them while they traveled and immigrated to other countries because of war, poverty, and other circumstances.
Thien Hau Temple has undergone multiple renovations since it was built but some original details and decorations were preserved.
This temple is not only a place for serving the spiritual life of local people but also for Chinese community offices and activities.
Phuoc Hai Temple
Second on the list of best temples to see in Ho Chi Minh is the Phuoc Hai Temple, or commonly known as The Jade Emperor Pagoda.
Despite being yet another Chinese temple like the Thien Hau Temple above, Phuoc Hai Temple was built in District 1 – the downtown of Ho Chi Minh.
The temple was originally the Jade Emperor’s temple built by a man named Luu Minh (from Guangdong, China) in the early 20th century in the style of Chinese architecture.
Jade Emperor Pagoda is an ancient temple, made in the style of a Chinese temple with a decorative motif.
The pagoda is built with bricks and roofs covered with yin and yang tiles, decorated with roof edges, and the corners are covered with colorful ceramic statues. Inside the temple are three palaces.
The main palace worships the Jade Emperor, Huyen Thien Bac De with the natural soldiers and generals.
Buu Long Temple
Considered as one of the most beautiful temples that can be found in Ho Chi Minh City, Buu Long Temple is sitting in District 9.
Its design is based on a mix of India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It was built in 1942, on a hill near the Dong Nai River.
Aside from its striking design, its finer details are more intriguing – decorated in gold equipped with a fountain and a semi-circle lake in front of the pagoda, perfect for pictures.
Note that despite being a temple, the Buu Long temple does not allow the use of incense and candles on-site.
On top of it all, this temple only serves as a place of worship for Buddha. This pagoda remains relatively lesser known and sees only a few visitors daily.
Travel Note: Make sure you dress respectfully when you visit – an important notice when you visit any of the temples mentioned above.
Mariamman Hindu Temple
The Mariamman Hindu Temple is a sacred Hindu Temple dedicated to the goddess of the Rain ‘Mariamman’.
It was built way back in the late 19th century by traders coming from India and has been well preserved.
The complex serves as the only Hindu temple found in Saigon and is believed to have miraculous powers giving luck and wealth to its visitors.
Its outer wall houses a collection of interesting statues of different gods and goddesses like Mariamman, Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesha.
The main hall of the complex (The Rajagopuram) stands twelve meters tall and inside is a well-maintained statue of Mariamman flanked by her protectors ‘Maduraiveeran’ and ‘Pechiamman’.
If you would like to enter the Mariamman Hindu Temple than do not forget to take of your shoes and dress appropriately.
To favour the goddess of the rain you can also take some offerings such as joss sticks, jasmine, lilies and gladioli.
These can be bought in front of the entrance. In the near vicinity of this temple you can also find Ben Thanh Market.
