Saturday, August 17, 2024

Quan Cong Temple @ Hoi An in Vietnam

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, history runs rich in Hoi An and you can find so many temples in the ancient town; one of which is Quan Cong Temple opposite the northern entrance of Hoi An Market. 

I stepped in for a quick look of this religious abode which was built in 1653, making it almost 400 years of age! Coming from Singapore where things mostly start from 1819, when Raffles "founded" Singapore, 1653 sounded so antiquated! 

Quan Cong is not a name familiar to me. However, a look at the above statue dawned on me; Quan Cong is the Vietnamese name for Guan Yu, a figure popular among the Chinese ethnic group and frequently honored as the Chinese God of War! 

Maybe because I am getting older, I don't derive much excitement from visiting temples. Not that it matters much as temples serve a greater purpose for devotees, and not for tourists like me. 

Main altar, with the statue of horses flanking the main deity.

Typical of temples honoring Guan Yu, there is typically two other deities by his side. Given the glass protecting the 3-meter tall statue, there was a reflection that made it hard for me to capture the details.

I don't know if this was Guan Ping or Guan Xing, both of whom were the sons of the God of War. Usually it would be Guan Ping with Zhou Cang, instead of Guan Xing though.

Sadly, I didn't manage to take more photographs as entry to this temple was supposed ticketed and have to be purchased at some booths; hence concluding my very short visit! 

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Address
24 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, 
Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Map
As above.

Temple Plan
As above.

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