283: Po Nagar Cham Towers VS Thien Yi Temple

A night passed, and Vu Linh Huong was once again filled with the complex knowledge of the Dragon Country People internet.

She clearly realized that the Dragon Country People internet world she usually saw was only a very small part.

Only by frequently immersing herself in it could she absorb the essence and true meaning of this online world.

As the morning sun streamed through the sheer curtains, filling the room, Vu Linh Huong slowly woke up, opening her eyes to see Li Qinghe looking at her tenderly.

"Good morning, A Xiang."

"Morning."

After exchanging good mornings, Vu Linh Huong rested her head on Li Qinghe's chest.

"Qinghe, how do you have so much knowledge? Every time you finish explaining something, I feel like I can't digest it all."

"This is all the essence I've accumulated over so many years. I started surfing the internet when I was a sensible teenager, and I've stored a lot of various knowledge. Growing up to now, of course, my knowledge base is huge. They say we're digital natives, right? Do you like it?"

"I love it so much."

"Morning is the peak time for memory, I'll tell you more."

"Speak slower, my brain can't absorb it all..."

...After the two finished washing up and had breakfast at the restaurant, they began their exploration of Nha Trang.

To facilitate walking, Vu Linh Huong changed into a pair of sneakers, a halter-neck top, and black athletic shorts today, making her look both sexy and energetic.

Vu Linh Huong

Today, Li Qinghe and Vu Linh Huong planned to first visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers in the northeast of Nha Trang.

Previously, they had seen a bare Cham tower in Mui Ne, but because the maintenance and protection there were not very thorough, the Cham tower in Mui Ne appeared somewhat desolate.

The Cham Towers here in Nha Trang, however, are said to be the best-preserved Hindu Cham-style architectural complex in all of Southern Vietnam.

When Li Qinghe drove the car to a nearby parking lot, he found that the commercial development here was indeed much stronger than in Mui Ne.

The Cham Towers here are locally known as Po Nagar Cham Towers, and a total of four structures remain, one more than in Mui Ne.

Because of the completeness of the architectural preservation here, it is also referred to as a mini Angkor Wat.

Po Nagar Cham Towers

The entrance fee here is not expensive, 22,000 vietnamese dong per person, which is less than 6 dragon country currency.

Perhaps due to the increase in Dragon Country People tourists in recent years, there are Chinese language signs everywhere in the entire scenic area.

Even outside the scenic area, Li Qinghe and Vu Linh Huong saw many Cham people.

After so many years of war and incursions by the Viet ethnic group, it is very difficult for the Cham people in Vietnam to maintain their traditions.

Because of the presence of these Cham people, the incense offerings at the Po Nagar Cham Towers are very prosperous.

Many Cham people come here with their families to offer incense, pray for blessings, and perform sacrifices.

Li Qinghe and Vu Linh Huong's timing was very coincidental; they happened to encounter Cham girls performing a dance here.

It seemed to be one of the scenic area's regular programs.

And these Cham girls were also very willing to perform here; on one hand, it was for their ethnic faith, and on the other hand, dancing here earned them a salary.

Although not a lot, a monthly salary of ten million vietnamese dong was already able to significantly supplement their families' income.

After watching the performance for a while, the two began to tour the entire Cham Towers.

Like the Cham tower in Mui Ne, the Cham Towers here are also built on a small hill.

From here, one can see a panoramic view of the entire Nha Trang Bay.

The maintenance here is better; the open spaces are paved with flagstones, unlike the Cham tower in Mui Ne, which has bare yellow earth everywhere.

Perhaps this is because the Cham tower in Mui Ne does not charge an entrance fee; only with ticket revenue can there be money to repair these buildings.

Upon entering the largest sanctuary of the Po Nagar Cham Towers, a stele at the entrance caught Li Qinghe's attention.

Upon closer inspection, it was entirely in Chinese language, and many local Vietnamese and foreigners looked at the inscription with confusion.

Li Qinghe read it through without any difficulty.

It turned out that this was a stele erected in 1871 by the local governor of the Nguyen Dynasty at that time.

The inscription mimicked the famous Dragon Country People "Ode to the Humble Dwelling," stating that "a mountain is not famous for its height, but for the presence of an immortal," demonstrating a deep understanding of refined Dragon Country People culture.

No wonder Vietnam was called "Little China"; before the arrival of the French, this place was entirely a world of Dragon Country People culture.

For a Dragon Country People, one can only sigh at the "defeat in victory" of General Feng Zicai's great victory at Zhennan Pass, and the "victory in defeat" of the French colonialists.

Now, the Vietnamese, like the Koreans, no longer recognize their ancestors.

Therefore, officially in Vietnam, this architectural complex is called the Temple of Lady Thien Y.

Lady Thien Y is regarded as the patron saint of the Vietnamese fishermen in this region.

Her status is equivalent to Mazu in China.

Upon entering the sanctuary, Vu Linh Huong also went to the scenic area's service desk to get a long robe.

Because people wearing shorts and tank tops are not allowed to enter this sanctuary, many tourists specifically get a long robe to wear over their clothes to be able to enter the sanctuary for a visit.

In this regard, the scenic area is quite thoughtful; since they charge you an entrance fee, they help you find a way to solve your problem.

After all, the weather in Vietnam is hot, and many female tourists mostly wear tank tops and shorts, dressed very lightly.

A long robe is not expensive and can be reused, at least solving more than 70% of the problems in the scenic area.

Entering the temple requires removing shoes, which is very consistent with local Vietnamese customs.

Because here, whether going home or entering an office, everyone goes barefoot.

Photography is prohibited inside the temple, so Li Qinghe did not take out his phone.

The interior is actually very simple, just some statues of Lady Thien Y, and above the statues are four large Dragon Country People characters: "Ancient Pagoda of Thien Y."

Visiting this temple was quite interesting because the local tourism department of Nha Trang combined this Cham belief and folk culture performance.

For a mere 22,000 vietnamese dong entrance fee, one can see many ethnic feature performances here, making it very cost-effective.

And those Cham people who spontaneously come here to pray have also become part of the temple's landscape.

Often, an entire family of a dozen or so people spreads a large cloth on the ground, and the whole family sits cross-legged there to perform rituals.

In the center of the cloth are fruits, rice, and other offerings brought by the family; the rice is usually mixed with some local spices, molded into rice balls, and piled in the middle of bowls and plates.

Such groups of Cham families are distributed throughout the Cham Towers, making the atmosphere here solemn.

After leaving the Cham Towers, Li Qinghe suddenly realized that all their sightseeing destinations for the day seemed to be related to religion.

Because the next stop after the Cham Towers was Nha Trang Cathedral, located in the city center of Nha Trang.

"Qinghe, do you know? Many newlyweds come to Nha Trang Cathedral to take wedding photos."

Li Qinghe drove, glancing at Vu Linh Huong from the corner of his eye.

The young miss was hinting at something. It seemed that a few days of intimacy had made Miss Wu a little ambitious.

Of course, such a question must be met head-on.

So Li Qinghe responded without hesitation, "We can go take them too. Next time, we'll bring A Ling and the others to take them all."

Li Qinghe's answer made Vu Linh Huong's mouth pout; she almost forgot that this scoundrel didn't completely belong to her alone.

However, Vu Linh Huong firmly believed that she was definitely among the most important people to him.

Because sometimes, having a small appetite can also be an advantage.

Sometimes, rolling one's eyes can also become a charm.

Born with a water affinity, she wondered if she could stick to him.

Since Li Qinghe, this scumbag, had already made it so clear, what else could Miss Wu say? Naturally, she would obey him.