Foto: The Great Temple of Cao Dai in Tay Ninh (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Vietnam - The Great Temple of Cao Dai in Tay Ninh is one of the most bizarre places of worship in the world. It resembles a religious fairy tale land. Services are held four times a day, always at six o’clock and twelve o’clock. We arrive just in time for the noon service. When I step off the bus, I see an enormous, colorful temple. We are allowed inside immediately, but we must leave our shoes outside. Outside the temple is a colorful collection of tourist shoes. From the balustrade, we watch the clergy enter the Great Temple. They wear brightly colored red, blue, and yellow robes. The followers dress in white and take their seats behind them. The service is impressive, funny, but also bizarre. After about half an hour, we have seen enough and leave the temple complex for lunch in the town of Tay Ninh.
The Ancient Citadel of Hué
Vietnam - Construction of the Citadel of Hué began in 1804 by order of Emperor Gia Long. Thousands of forced laborers were used to build the complex, which is surrounded by a ten-kilometer-long wall. The center of the Imperial City is the Forbidden Purple City, ...
The Ancient Trading Town of Hoi An
Vietnam - We decide to purchase a combination ticket for Hoi An. The ticket grants access to one museum of choice, one old merchant’s house of choice, one assembly hall, the Japanese bridge, and one handicraft shop. We start at the bridge. The Japanese Bridge ...
The Cu Chi Tunnels
Vietnam - The Cu Chi tunnel complex is about an hour and a half drive away. The tunnel system is a network of 250 kilometers of tunnels and served as a hideout for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Cu Chi was essentially one large underground city, with sleeping ...