Impression Vietnam III

A statue of Lord Jesus at Vung Tau facing the sea



A local Catholic Church along Mekong River


A famous landmark of HCM City, the Notre Dame of Vietnam. The building survived the Vietnam war.

According to Wikipedia, About 6-7% of the population in Vietnam is Catholics. I was surprised to see the number of Catholic Churches in the area around HCM City. Vietnam is still a socialist country and I suppose Vietnam Government is tolerant on the religion beliefs of its people. Sound of the church bells was heard at 12 noon. I could see locals praying the church when bus passed by. When I read the history of Vietnam, I realise that the ex-South Vietnam President Mr Ngoh Dinh Diem played an important role in encouraging the rise of Catholicism in Vietnam. He was a devoted Catholic.

The majority of Vietnamese was still Buddhist due to tradditional roots. Many local businesses and hotels have buddhist alters displayed clearly.

An indian temple near the hotel where I stayed