Hotels near Jade Emperor Pagoda

The Jade Emperor Pagoda, known in Vietnamese as Chua Ngoc Hoang or Phuoc Hai Tu, was built by the Cantonese community in 1909 and remains the most atmospheric temple in Ho Chi Minh City. Incense smoke fills the main hall almost permanently. The Jade Emperor presides over the central altar flanked by his guardians, and carved wooden panels along the side walls depict the ten courts of hell in considerable detail.

A side room holds statues of the twelve women who, in local belief, oversee childbirth, and couples come to leave offerings there. The pond in the front courtyard holds several hundred turtles released by worshippers. Entry is free and the temple opens from 7:00 to 18:00, staying open later on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month. Barack Obama visited in 2016, which sharply raised the site's profile among foreign visitors.

Pro Tip: Bring a mask or scarf if smoke bothers you - the main hall is thick with it and ventilation is minimal. Photography is fine in the courtyard but not at the altars. Ignore the sellers offering turtles and birds outside the gate; the animals are recaptured and resold the same week.