Jade Emperor Pagoda | Tortoise Pagoda | King of Heaven | Ho Chi Minh City

Jade Emperor Pagoda | Tortoise Pagoda | King of Heaven | Ho Chi Minh City

The Jade Emperor Pagoda is a Taoist Pagoda located on Mai Thi Luu Street, Ho Chi Minh City. Built in 1909, this finest example of a Taoist temple in Vietnam is decorated with a riot of carvings, depicting scenes from Taoist, Buddhist, and ethnic myths. In the dim interior, worshipers bow to Buddha statues with neon halos.

The roof is covered with elaborate tile work, while the statues are made of reinforced papier-mâché. The path leading to the temple door is usually lined with hawkers selling food, incense, flowers, and even tortoises scrabbling in water-filled plastic bowls.

It is also known from 1984 by the new Chinese name Phuoc Hai Tu, and as the Tortoise Pagoda.