Vietnam - Hoi An - Fukian Assembly Hall

The inside of the assembly hall contains the Jinshang Golden Mountain temple dedicated to Thien Hau, the goddess of the sea and caretaker of sailors, featuring altars adorned with delicately carved dragons. There is also a fertility shrine to help answer the prayers of childless couples who visit.

Inside the hall, there are two big embossed murals. The one on the left shows Thien Hau, Holy Mother, her way lit by lantern light, saving a boat which was sinking into the sea. The one on the right shows 6 generals riding horses and leading a fight against the Qing in order to restore the Ming Dynasty movement. After these six generals were defeated, their offspring had to flee to Hoi An.

The main hall is dedicated to the statue of Avalokitesvara sitting in mediation in a glass c

age. A big incense burner is placed at the front of the statue. On the left of the incense table is the statue of the God of Thien Ly Nhan (thousand-mile vision) and the right is the God of Thuong Phong Nhi (thousand-mile hearing).

These are masterpieces of the skilled workers of Kim Bong village. These gods are believed to have assisted Thien Hau Holy Mother in saving victims on the sea. The rear of the main hall is dedicated to the worship of Thien Hau Holy Mother. Her statue seats in mediation. On the left, there is a model of a 1875 sailing boat.

A big dragon whose head is grafted with turquoise enamel porcelain and colorful glass pieces twists around the lake. The head looks very lively and beautiful. A unicorn embossed on the wall, at the back of the hall, is depicted playing with the dragon above the lake, to form the scene of “dancing dragon and unicorn”. place at the centre of the back sanctuary is dedicated to six generals of the Ming Dynasty who came from Phuoc Kien Province.

Two sides of the back sanctuary are dedicated to Chinese popular gods. The left altar is dedicated to three Sanh Thai goddesses (Kim Hoa Nuong Nuong, Sanh Thai Nhi Chua, Sanh Thai Thap Nhi Tien Nuong) and 12 midwives. The right one is dedicated to the God of Wealth.

The Assembly Hall houses a lot of statues, bronze drums, bronze bells, big incense burners, 14 horizontal lacquered boards and other valuable artifacts. The mosaic fountain inside the assembly hall bears a fish sculpture that is a symbol of achievement. Besides the fish, there are other animals such as dragon, unicorn, phoenix, turtle and so on. All these animals signify different features of the Chinese culture. The dragon is the symbol of power and the turtle signifies endurance. On the other hand the unicorn is a symbol of knowledge and the phoenix represents nobility

The main centre of attraction is the temple dedicated to the sea goddess Thien Hau who rests alongside the goddess Thuan Phong Nhi who is credited with hearing the distress call of ships thousands of miles away and the goddess Thien Ly Nhan who has the vision to see those ships.

 To either side of the entrance stand red-skinned Thuan Phong Nhi and green-skinned Thien Ly Nhan, deities who alert Thien Hau when sailors are in distress. In the last chamber, the central altar contains seated figures of the heads of the six Fujian families. The smaller figures below them represent their successors as clan leaders. Behind the altar on the right are three fairies and smaller figures representing the 12 ba mu (midwives), each of whom teaches newborns a different skill necessary for the first year of life: smiling, sucking and so forth. Childless couples often come here to pray for offspring and leave fresh fruit as offerings.

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