Quan Am Pagoda

On one side of Lao Tu Street, there is a pagoda complex with a gatehouse entry; on the other side, there is a garden with an artificial pond. The pagoda complex comprises of a modest front courtyard, an antechamber containing an altar to the Jade Emperor, a main chamber containing an altar to Mazu, and a vast rear courtyard dominated by the statue of Guanyin.

There is an artificial pond and fountain in the garden, which is divided from the street by a red metal gate. In the center is a little artificial island with rocky ground and a pavilion with a roof. On the stone edging of the small pond stands a Guanyin statue in Chinese design. Guanyin is perched above a lotus blossom. She is adorned with a crown and a lengthy white gown. She is holding a little golden pearl in her right hand and a small vial in her left. This vial contains amrita, the elixir of life. Taoist symbols are depicted in relief on the three panels encircling the pond.

A green dragon, whose body is partially veiled by clouds, floats above the ocean waters in the panel’s center, while golden fish play on the surface.

In the panel on the left, the Three Stars (Phuoc Loc Tho) are represented as three deities standing together in Heaven. The Status Star (Loc) is attired as a Chinese mandarin and wears a red robe with blue accent. The Longevity Star (Tho) is represented as an elderly man with a yellow robe and a white beard. In his right hand, he holds a peach, the emblem of immortality, and in his left hand, he holds a dragon-headed wooden staff. The Jade Emperor and Lao-tze are surrounded by children who are gathering and transporting the peaches of immortality in baskets and wagons. One child offers Lao-tze with a basket of peaches while the Jade Emperor rubs his beard. Behind the status deity sits the prosperity star deity, who is petting the head of one of the children.

In the panel on the right, eight musicians are represented performing in a natural scene. There are flutes, drums, and strings among the instruments.

A modest red gatehouse serves as the entrance to the pagoda located across the street from the garden. There is a short courtyard between the gatehouse and the pagoda building itself. At both ends of the slender courtyard are relief panels in the same manner as those in the garden across the street. The difference is that the panels in the garden include Taoist images, while those in the courtyard portray the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.

Amitabha is the Buddha linked with the Buddhist style of piety that promises salvation with faith. It is a form of religiosity accessible to individuals who lack the capacity or chance to seek redemption via meditation and reflection. Sincere devotees of Amitabha invoke his name, and he rewards them by reincarnating them in the paradise known as the Pure Land, a region devoid of suffering and evil where sentient beings can prepare for ultimate salvation.

A panel showing Amitabha Buddha presiding over the Pure Land can be found to the left of the main entrance to the pagoda complex.

The entrance corridor is dominated by a prominent altar to the Jade Emperor (Ngoc Hoang), which faces a big incense burner. On the wall to the right of the altar is a massive relief portrayal of a tigress with her cub, a symbol of fertility, and on the wall to the left is an image of a golden dragon soaring over the clouds. The reliefs are flanked by gilded panels depicting the male Amitabha Buddha and three female Bodhisattvas (Bo Tat) mounted on mythological beasts.

In the center of the altar to the Jade Emperor sits a dark statue with yellow robes and a golden crown, which represents the master of the universe. Just in front is a statue of Maitreya (Di Lac), the Buddha of the future, as the plump “Laughing Buddha” Maitreya (Di Lac). Maitreya is seated on the ground with one knee lifted, his robe open at the chest, and his mouth open in a welcoming chuckle.

The central shrine within the pagoda is devoted to Mazu. Her Vietnamese name Thien Hau is derived from her Chinese epithet Tianhou, which means “Empress of Heaven.” She is also known as A Pho, a calque of her Cantonese appellation A-ma, which translates to “Beloved Mother.” Both functions result in her being associated with the Virgin Mary and Guanyin. Mazu stands towering in the center, attired in rainbow robes and a crown, her golden visage peaceful and emotionless. Shorter attendants flank the lady, and scowling devils keep watch in front of her. The area in front of the altar is dominated by columns adorned with relief carvings of golden dragons coiling. Along the pillars, the dragons spiral downhill from heaven to the ocean. On the side stands a big bronze-cast bell.

To the left and right of the altar are walls with relief carvings with Taoist motifs. A group of Taoist Immortals socialize in a landscape on one side. Two of them are playing a board game, while the third is creating music. On the opposite side, a group of celestial women accompany a young man as he rides a cloud between two mountain peaks.

Beyond the Mazu altar is the partially enclosed courtyard. In its center is the Guanyin altar (Guanyin). Numerous statues and altars to other deities and saints are situated around the courtyard’s perimeter. There are also incense stick holders, offerings of fruit and grains, and ovens for burning money offerings.

The central image is a Guanyin statue in Chinese design. She is standing tall and smiling, with her right hand raised in an instructive gesture and her left hand holding the little vase with the elixir of life. She is flanked by two smaller figures, one of whom clasps his hands and looks upon her with adoration. Around the tall pillars to the left and right of the central group of statues are spiraling dragons ascending towards the sky. Outside the pillars are two reliefs of smiling bodhisattvas astride contented animals. A female Manjusri seated on the back of a green lion and holding a lotus stem and flower is depicted on one side. The lion signifies the unruly mind subdued by the bodhisattva’s wisdom. On the opposite side is a portrayal of a female Samantabhadra riding a white elephant while holding a scroll. The elephant symbolizes the control of the senses.

The smaller shrines lining the outer courtyard’s perimeter are devoted to diverse characters from Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese mythology, tales, and literature.