Special features of TianHou worship in the Mekong Delta

Abstract

The TianHou/ThienHau-worship cult originated from Fujian, China and was gradually brought into the South of Vietnam following the footsteps of South Chinese immigrants. There are around 50 TianHou temples built and owned by the Chinese and the Vietnamese at the Mekong Delta. In the Mekong residents’ mind, TianHou is seen as a sea goddess, a protector, a benevolent Mother goddess who has been accepted through the channels of Mahayana Buddhism and traditional goddess beliefs. The religious practices at TianHou temples in the Mekong Delta have shown both the specific cultural traits of Vietnamese Chinese identities and the popular trends of multicultural exchanges by the local communities. This paper is to investigate the current situation of the cult of TianHou in the Mekong Delta to highlight the basic characteristics of this cult in the region.