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Post by questa on Dec 15, 2013 8:57:31 GMT
I thought to put this in the Religion thread but I think it is better here. Please correct me if it is wrong. Inspired by the "places of worship" idea I remembered these photos from 1994 so scanned them. Cao Dai is a purely Vietnamese religion started in early 20th Century. Their saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Sun Yat Sen. Read it all on Google if you are interested. The main temple is this one in Tay Ninh, they have prayer sessions at 6am, noon and 6pm and visitors may watch from 2 upper galleries that run along the sides...men in one, women in the other. The building is impressive from outside...    Inside it is a cross between Walt Disney and Indiana Jones.   Lolly pink columns are wrapped around by green dragons, every surface is decorated in many colours...the ceiling is covered with sparkling stars...  and at the far end is the holy of holies which houses the green orb with the single eye. It is getting close to midday  3 bishop ladies are ready  The choir and musicians are in place  and an official unwraps the bamboo drums, shaped like red fish which beat the rhythm of the chanting. Also on the altar is the round brass bowl which is struck like a gong at times in the service.   The ordinary people have processed down the hall and line the outer section.  More senior people sit inside the dragon columns  The lady bishops are joined (suitably distant on the men's side) by another  another group of seniors  At the back, near the doors are some more...possibly security guards.  and thus they commence their prayers. (I don't photograph people actually doing their worship, I think they deserve their privacy) |
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Post by bjd on Dec 15, 2013 11:13:33 GMT
Maybe in a few centuries when the colours have faded, tourists will find it attractive?
Is it a popular religion in Vietnam, questa?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2013 12:42:13 GMT
That's a great set of photos. One thing that I noticed about all of the Cao Dai temples that I saw (from the outside only, unfortunately), is that the architecture seems to be loosely based on the French colonial churches but completely reworked by local artistic traditions.
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Post by htmb on Dec 15, 2013 12:52:26 GMT
Wonderful photos, Questa, and certainly a lot to take in! Did you have to climb one of the pictured ladders?
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 15, 2013 19:28:37 GMT
I thought to put this in the Religion thread but I think it is better here. Please correct me if it is wrong. Hi Questa. Please let me hijack this wonderful thread for a moment in order to clarify the difference between the Image Bank and the rest of the forum. Quoting from Welcome to our Image Bank: Any Port in a Storm encourages members to create threads that illustrate a place or tell a story. The other boards on the forum provide many opportunities for that. The Image Bank was created as a showcase for members’ best photographic efforts. Use discretion to select photos in which you take particular pride.It's true that over time some threads in Image Bank have turned more into games in which any picture that fits the theme gets posted, something that eventually will be remedied. So, you were completely correct in your decision to make a separate thread about the Cao Dai Temple with your many excellent photos.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At any rate ~~ oh my word! Were you tempted to pick off a crumble for tasting, to see if it was really marzipan? It is so very exotic. Hope this doesn't sound too judgmental, but modern religions are so weirdly fascinating in the way they incorporate trappings from other centuries into their presentation, for want of a better word. How old is that particular temple? Its size would indicate that Cao Dai is, or at least was, quite popular. You really have visited the most amazing places. Surely this isn't on the well-trodden tourist route. Most interesting, thanks! |
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Post by questa on Dec 15, 2013 23:45:58 GMT
Bix, re which thread...your explanation is exactly how I understood it from the Welcome message.
htmb, if you look at pic 5 you will see foreground a spiral staircase winding up which leads to gallery
bjd, From my observation...the Buddhists and Catholics would far outnumber Cao Die nationally. I hear the Pentacostals are also there now.
I have pulled out some details from Wikipedia for those interested.
Cao Đài is a relatively modern syncretistic, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tây Ninh, Vietnam
in 1926.
Due to its young age, it shows its syncretistic roots more than older religions
According to Caodaiists, the name was purposefully chosen by God because within it are representations of the Three Teachings: Saint, Sage and Buddha.
Caodaiists credit God as the religion's founder. They believe the teachings, symbolism and organization were communicated directly from God. Even the construction of the Tây Ninh Holy See is claimed to have had divine guidance.
Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the minimum goal of rejoining God in Heaven and the ultimate goal of freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Estimates of Cao Dài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources give two to three million, according to other sources up to six million. An additional 30,000 (numbers may vary), primarily ethnic
Vietnamese, live in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
The Three Teachings represent hierarchical levels of spiritual attainment, with buddha as the highest, followed by Sage and Saint.
Inside the Holy See is a painting depicting the Three Saints signing a covenant between God and humanity. From left to right, they are Sun Yat-sen, Victor Hugo and Nguyen Khiêm. Joan of Arc is also venerated.
It is no coincidence there are similarities between the hierarchy of Caodaiism's dignitaries and those of the Catholic Church because Caodaiists claim the same God created both religions. Cao Dài's hierarchy includes a pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, etc.
Caodaiism stresses equality among men and women in society. However, in the spiritual domain, ordained women may not attain the two highest positions: Legislative Cardinal and Pope.
Cao Dai was active in political and military struggles against both French colonial forces and South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngô Dình Diem
Their opposition to the communist forces until 1975 was a factor in their repression after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the incoming communist government proscribed the practice of Cao Dài. In 1997, the Cao Dài was granted legal recognition.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2013 0:14:05 GMT
Such interesting photos of such an interesting place, questa. I'm wondering what kind of material the floors are made of that the men are sitting and worshiping on?
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Post by questa on Dec 16, 2013 3:53:36 GMT
Deyana, the floors are all ceramic tiles. There are 9 levels with shallow steps leading up to the "eye". Each level is tiled in a different pattern and the levels represent the stages of illumination in the spiritual journey.
Modified to add...your moon and stars photos are gorgeous. Was the sky REALLY that colour in the first?
I can see why ancients used to worship the moon and sun!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2013 12:47:43 GMT
Thanks, questa. Yeah, it was that color that day.  |
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