page_title: Quan Âm Pagoda (Ho Chi Minh City)
section_title: Entry Hallway and Altar to Jade Emperor
hierarchical_section_title: Quan Âm Pagoda (Ho Chi Minh City) / Layout / Entry Hallway and Altar to Jade Emperor
caption_attribution_description: English: This relief is of the Bodhisattva Manjusri (Van tu bo tat in Vietnamese). It is located in the Chinese-style Quan Am Pagoda in Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
context_page_description: Quan Âm Pagoda is a Chinese-style Buddhist pagoda located on Lao Tu Street in Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy and the Chinese form of the Indian bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The pagoda is popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists; most of its inscriptions are in Chinese characters, but some have had Vietnamese labels added. In addition to veneration of Guanyin and the teachings of the Buddha, the pagoda also includes Pure Land worship of the Amitabha Buddha, elements of Taoism, and the folk worship of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu in her role as the "Queen of Heaven".
context_section_description: The partially covered entry hallway is dominated by a central altar to the Jade Emperor (Ngoc Hoang), which faces a large incense censer.  The wall to the right of the altar features a large relief depiction of a tigress with her cub, a symbol of fertility, and the wall to the left a golden dragon swirling through the clouds.  Gilded panels of the male Amitabha Buddha and three female Bodhisattvas (Bo Tat) mounted on mythical creatures flank the reliefs.
  Amitabha Buddha (A Di Da Phat) sits cross legged on the back of a fierce lion or qilin (sometimes called a "unicorn" in English translation).  His right hand rests in his lap in the gesture of meditation, cradling a lotus flower.  His left hand is raised in a gesture of instruction.
  Manjusri Bodhisattva (Van Thu Bo Tat), the bodhisattva of wisdom, takes a feminine form and sits on a snarling lion.  She does not carry her normal attributes, the sword (representing the intellect capable of cutting through error) and the book of wisdom.  Instead, her left hand cradles a flaming orb, while her right hand is hidden from view.  The lion represents the wild mind subdued by wisdom and meditation.
  Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva (The Chi Bo Tat) takes a feminine form as she sits serenely on the back of a lion.  Her right hand rests in her lap cradling an orb, while her left hand is raised in a gesture of instruction.
  Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Pho Hien Bo Tat), the bodhisattva of virtue and religious devotion, takes a feminine form and rides on the back of an elephant.  Her right hand cradles a lotus blossom, while the left is raised in a gesture of instruction.  The white elephant represents the purification of the senses.
  At the center of the altar to the Jade Emperor stands a dark statue clothed in yellow robes and a golden crown, representing the lord of the universe.  Just in front is a statue of the chubby "Laughing Buddha" Maitreya (Di Lac)—the Buddha of the future.  Maitreya is sitting comfortably on the ground with one knee raised, his robe opened at the chest, his mouth opened in friendly mirth.
caption: The bodhisattva Manjusri, in female form, is mounted on a lion.
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