Group tours are apparently my new hobby because I decided to book a second day to see some other sites around South Vietnam. Normally, I roll my eyes whenever I see a mass of people following a guide through the most touristy areas of a city. However, given that I was traveling alone, the tours seemed like a good opportunity to meet new people and allow the tour operator handle all the logistics.
Our first destination for the day was the birthplace of the Cao Dai religion in Tay Ninh province. The religion emerged in the 1920's and now has over 3 million members- mostly in Vietnam but also scattered around the world. When we arrived at the temple, my first impression was that it looked like Pee-Wee's playhouse. The shape of the building resembled a church but the colors and decorations were completely over-the-top.
Our tour guide began telling us about the religion while people began arriving for their midday prayers. The majority of worshipers were women and they wore simple white robes. There was also a small group of people wearing red, blue, and yellow to represent Confucianiam, Taoism, and Buddhism, respectively. Cao Dai is touted as a collection of the best parts of many religions.
According to an article in the New York Times, the religion was born after a Vietnamese civil servant received a heavenly message from God. I couldn't help but remain skeptical... Is it really that easy to build a religious following?
We proceeded into the temple and up to the balcony to watch the midday prayers. Everything was set to music, led by a group of instrumentalists and young singers. The sound was very unique and slightly too atonal for my ears.
The inside of the temple was just as ostentatious as the exterior, but it was offset by the pure white robes that most people were wearing. Each of the church members remained focused on the music, with bowed heads and very little movement. Sporadically, they would place their forehead onto the ground and come back up in a carefully orchestrated series of movements.
According to my tour guide, the temple was constructed without a blueprint. All construction decisions were divinely communicated and construction was very slow. Despite the over-the-top decorative elements, a lot of the design themes were repetitive. Each window and column looked just like the others.
The main symbol of the religion is an eye, which represents the spiritual heart of each person. Emerging from the eye are lines, which represent the light of the universe. This symbol was present in many of the windows and throughout the temple. It looked a little creepy to me but I'm sure they would say the same thing about Jesus nailed to a cross.
After about 30 minutes, the prayers ended and the worshipers quietly dispersed back to their daily lives. They did not interact much with each other and no one paid much attention to the tourists.
To be honest, I found the experience very confusing. I got the impression that religious members were attending out of obligation rather than faith. They went through the motions of the service but there was nothing more. No sermon/homily. No message about applying the religion in daily life. No participation. Everyone just listened to the same chanting that they probably hear every day.
I respect the moral principles of the religion but I just did not sense much emotion from anyone. As we walked back to the bus, I saw a garden filled with potted plants and it was a great metaphor for what I had just seen. The outward display of the garden was presented well and each plant was growing carefully in its tiny environment, but none were flourishing in their surroundings or adapting with the others.
After lunch, we headed to the Cu Chi tunnels, which were used as hiding places used by Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War (which, by the way, is called the American War here). Before touring the grounds, a short video is shown with a lot of anti-American propaganda. I am never one to blindly defend any mistakes of my country, but the bias in this film made Americans look like murderous tyrants who invaded the country without any reasons, whatsoever.
Most Americans do not celebrate the country's involvement in the Vietnam war, but I found it interesting to hear the local perspective throughout the tour. As they showed us the various traps that were used by the Viet Cong soldiers, it amazing that the Vietnamese soldiers were able to defeat such a technologically superior military power. Proof that knowing the land makes a big difference.
The guide showed us how labor-intensive it was to dig the tunnels. It's not as simple as digging holes in the ground and leaving the dirt alongside. Women had to carry the displaced dirt several kilometers away from the tunnel network, just so it would not be apparent to the American forces.
The openings to the tunnels were absolutely minuscule - even for Vietnamese standards - and the living conditions must have been intolerable.
At the end of the tour, we all had the opportunity to crawl through a small portion of the tunnels. Between the excessive heat and the difficulty to move in a crouched position, I was immediately uncomfortable. I would have never survived in such conditions.
Although much of the site was not original, it was very interesting to hear about the conditions during the war and, especially, the different tactics that were used by Viet Cong soldiers to defeat the American-led forces.
There is one memory that I will always associate with Ho Chi Minh City: motorbikes. They have literally taken over the city and I can still hear the buzz of the engines in my head. As for driving rules, red lights are only a suggestion and sidewalks are not restricted to pedestrians only. The chaos requires everyone to constantly be alert, but that is all part of the city's charm.
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| First impressions of Holy See Temple |
Our tour guide began telling us about the religion while people began arriving for their midday prayers. The majority of worshipers were women and they wore simple white robes. There was also a small group of people wearing red, blue, and yellow to represent Confucianiam, Taoism, and Buddhism, respectively. Cao Dai is touted as a collection of the best parts of many religions.
According to an article in the New York Times, the religion was born after a Vietnamese civil servant received a heavenly message from God. I couldn't help but remain skeptical... Is it really that easy to build a religious following?
We proceeded into the temple and up to the balcony to watch the midday prayers. Everything was set to music, led by a group of instrumentalists and young singers. The sound was very unique and slightly too atonal for my ears.
 |
| Musicians lead the prayer service. |
The inside of the temple was just as ostentatious as the exterior, but it was offset by the pure white robes that most people were wearing. Each of the church members remained focused on the music, with bowed heads and very little movement. Sporadically, they would place their forehead onto the ground and come back up in a carefully orchestrated series of movements.
 |
| Prayers begin at Holy See Temple |
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| Everyone is carefully focused |
According to my tour guide, the temple was constructed without a blueprint. All construction decisions were divinely communicated and construction was very slow. Despite the over-the-top decorative elements, a lot of the design themes were repetitive. Each window and column looked just like the others.
 |
| Close-up view of the columns inside the temple |
 |
| Looking into the temple from one of the windows |
The main symbol of the religion is an eye, which represents the spiritual heart of each person. Emerging from the eye are lines, which represent the light of the universe. This symbol was present in many of the windows and throughout the temple. It looked a little creepy to me but I'm sure they would say the same thing about Jesus nailed to a cross.
 |
| The religious symbol of an eye was highly visible |
After about 30 minutes, the prayers ended and the worshipers quietly dispersed back to their daily lives. They did not interact much with each other and no one paid much attention to the tourists.
 |
| Quietly returning to daily life at the end of the prayers |
To be honest, I found the experience very confusing. I got the impression that religious members were attending out of obligation rather than faith. They went through the motions of the service but there was nothing more. No sermon/homily. No message about applying the religion in daily life. No participation. Everyone just listened to the same chanting that they probably hear every day.
I respect the moral principles of the religion but I just did not sense much emotion from anyone. As we walked back to the bus, I saw a garden filled with potted plants and it was a great metaphor for what I had just seen. The outward display of the garden was presented well and each plant was growing carefully in its tiny environment, but none were flourishing in their surroundings or adapting with the others.
 |
| Potted plants in a garden alongside the temple |
After lunch, we headed to the Cu Chi tunnels, which were used as hiding places used by Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War (which, by the way, is called the American War here). Before touring the grounds, a short video is shown with a lot of anti-American propaganda. I am never one to blindly defend any mistakes of my country, but the bias in this film made Americans look like murderous tyrants who invaded the country without any reasons, whatsoever.
Most Americans do not celebrate the country's involvement in the Vietnam war, but I found it interesting to hear the local perspective throughout the tour. As they showed us the various traps that were used by the Viet Cong soldiers, it amazing that the Vietnamese soldiers were able to defeat such a technologically superior military power. Proof that knowing the land makes a big difference.
 |
| I would not want to get caught in this trap |
The guide showed us how labor-intensive it was to dig the tunnels. It's not as simple as digging holes in the ground and leaving the dirt alongside. Women had to carry the displaced dirt several kilometers away from the tunnel network, just so it would not be apparent to the American forces.
The openings to the tunnels were absolutely minuscule - even for Vietnamese standards - and the living conditions must have been intolerable.
 |
| One of our group members enters the tunnel network |
At the end of the tour, we all had the opportunity to crawl through a small portion of the tunnels. Between the excessive heat and the difficulty to move in a crouched position, I was immediately uncomfortable. I would have never survived in such conditions.
Although much of the site was not original, it was very interesting to hear about the conditions during the war and, especially, the different tactics that were used by Viet Cong soldiers to defeat the American-led forces.
-- -- -- -- --
Overall, my trip to Vietnam was a great experience and I wish I had more time to explore other parts of the country. Ho Chi Minh city proved to be a convenient base for exploring the region and it offered much more of a cosmopolitan nightlife than I would have anticipated.
There is one memory that I will always associate with Ho Chi Minh City: motorbikes. They have literally taken over the city and I can still hear the buzz of the engines in my head. As for driving rules, red lights are only a suggestion and sidewalks are not restricted to pedestrians only. The chaos requires everyone to constantly be alert, but that is all part of the city's charm.
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| Motorbikes fill the streets in Ho Chi Minh City |
Walking through the city on my last night, I noticed all types of people. The backpacker district was filled with young travelers from around the world, who appreciate the low costs and exotic environment. Meanwhile, the luxury hotels and boutiques offered a level of quality that could appeal to even the most discriminating travelers. My traveling style falls somewhere in between and I felt like I got to experience the best of both worlds.
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| People's Committee Building at night |
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