Thien Hau Temple, Cholon

Cholon has been the Chinese quarter of the city for two centuries, and Thien Hau is its best known temple, founded by Cantonese merchants and rebuilt several times since. It honours Mazu, the sea goddess who protects sailors, whose gilded image sits behind the main altar. The building is arranged around an open light well that lets the incense smoke escape, and the fittings repay a slow look: carved panels of court scenes along the walls, old bronze bells and censers, and above all the roof ridges, crowded end to end with small glazed ceramic figures of opera characters made in the kilns of Guangdong. Coils of incense hang burning from the ceiling for weeks at a time.

What you actually see

• The roof figures - rows of small glazed ceramic opera scenes along the ridges, best seen from the light well.
• Hanging incense coils - large spirals suspended from the ceiling, burning slowly with paper prayers attached.
• The main altar - the gilded image of the sea goddess, flanked by attendant figures.
• Wall panels and bells - old carved reliefs and bronze bells and censers around the halls.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. Mornings are quieter and the light falls into the central well; the temple fills on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month and is packed for the lantern festival two weeks after Tet. Half an hour is enough. Dress modestly and step around people praying rather than through the middle of them.

Honest expectations

The interior is dark and heavy with smoke, which stings the eyes and bothers anyone with a chest complaint. The temple is small and can feel congested when tour groups work through it. The roof figures, the best part of the building, are far overhead and need a zoom lens. Nguyen Trai street outside is loud, dusty and difficult to cross.

Nearby

Binh Tay market and the older temples and herb shops of Cholon are within walking distance.