Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

One of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to a deified Chinese military leader.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda   robertharding / Alamy
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda   Daniel Werner/cc by-sa 1.0
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda   manhhai/cc by 2.0
  greggc80 / Atlas Obscura User
  greggc80 / Atlas Obscura User
Inside   greggc80 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda was built by the Chaozhou Chinese population of Ho Chi Minh City sometime in the second half of the 19th century. One of the oldest temples in the city, it is dedicated to the deified Chinese military leader Quan Cong.

During the 1800s, the Chinese population of Vietnam built a number of temples worshiping Quan Cong, none more important than the Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda. Quan Cong (c. 198-249) was a military leader of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Not only was he a courageous and decisive military commander, he was also known as an honorable and loyal general who respected tradition and engaged in charitable acts.

Nghia An Hoi Quan is a fine example of Chinese religious architecture in Vietnam. Known for its elaborately gilded woodwork, intricate statues and other relics, the pagoda includes a main room, large front yard, and incense house. The main entrance is guarded by two stone “unicorns,” and a carved wooden boat hangs over the doorway.

Inside the main room is a statue of Quan Cong dressed in his dragon robe, flanked by his two loyal attendants: Quan Binh, his chief mandarin, and Chau Xuong, his chief general. One of the most famous statues in the temple is that of Quan Cong's red horse. The wooden statue of his faithful steed is considered particularly holy to the temple's devotees, who come to ring a bell around its neck before crawling under the horse to its opposite flank, an action believed to draw blessings from the warhorse.

Many more statues, small and large, of wood, stone, or ceramic, stand within the temple. Paintings and engravings depict Chinese legends and images of daily life and rural workers, and lanterns hang from the ceiling. Because of these artifacts and decorations, Nghia An Hoi Quan is more than just a shrine to Quan Cong: the temple also helps to bring Chinese culture and history to the descendants of the Chaozhou people who originally immigrated to Vietnam.

Related Tags

Temples History Religion Culture Military History Sacred Spaces Military

Know Before You Go

Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda is located at 678 Nguyen Trai Street in Cholon, within Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown. The temple's main festival dedicated to Quan Cong takes place every year on the 13th day of the first lunar month.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Vietnam: Fish Sauce, Pho & Royal Tea

Eating your way from North to South in Vietnam.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

greggc80, Meg

  • greggc80
  • Meg

Published

September 14, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.chinatownology.com/nghia_an_hoi_quan.html
  • http://saigon-online.net/index.php/nghia-an-hoi-an-pagoda-the-cultural-characteristic-of-chaozhou-in-saigon/
  • http://www.asiaexplorers.com/vietnam/nghia-an-hoi-quan-pagoda_ho-chi-minh-city.htm
Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda
678 Nguyễn Trãi
Quận 5
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
10.753709, 106.662116
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chợ Lớn Mosque

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Secret Weapon Bunker

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Places 14
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Chợ Lớn Mosque

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Secret Weapon Bunker

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Places 14
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing).

    Tongren, China

    Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

    Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

  • Stones.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Temple of Santiago Tlatelolco's Stones

    A close look at the church's walls reveals pieces of Mexico's history.

  • The Saparmurat Haji Mosque was built near the heroic Geok Tepe Fortress.

    Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

    Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

    A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.

  • The Preceptory Tower at Temple Bruer.

    Lincoln, England

    Temple Bruer

    This lone tower casts an outstretched shadow over the site of a once-wealthy Knights Templar preceptory.

  • Sculpture of a Hindu goddess.

    Gwalior, India

    Sasbahu Temples

    A pair of nearly 1,000-year-old temples profusely covered in meticulous stone carvings.

  • The outside of the synagogue in Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini.

    Modena, Italy

    Modena Synagogue

    This beautiful 150-year-old synagogue survived Italy's fascist period and the Second World War.

  • The Tower of Joan of Arc rising over Rouen.

    Rouen, France

    Tower of Joan of Arc

    This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

  • Montcassino Abbey.

    Cassino, Italy

    Montecassino Abbey

    This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.