We regard the Jade Emperor because the best example of a Taoist pagoda in Vietnam from tourism point of view, not only for its non secular value but additionally for its sheer exuberance. 

Coming into the temple courtyard, guests will encounter a small pool on the right full of large terrapins and, on the left, a sequence of enclosures containing dozens of tortoises that give it its local title of the ‘Tortoise Pagoda’. Usually, there can be women promoting birds to be released by the purchaser to curry favour with the gods.  

The inside is dominated by an effigy of the Jade Emperor, correctly addressed as 'Most Venerable Highest Jade Emperor of All-Embracing Sublime Spontaneous Existence of the Heavenly Golden Palace’. He is the top of the heavenly bureaucracy, governing spirits assigned to oversee the workings of the natural world and the administration of ethical justice.  

The gods in heaven behaved, and have been treated, much the identical as officers in the human world - worshipping them was a type of rehearsal for dealing with the secular authorities. Demons and the ghosts of hell acted like bullies and outlaws threatening strangers in the actual world and have been handled accordingly. To keep away from their attentions, people bribed them or invoked the martial forces of the spirit world’s officials to arrest them. 

All these components could be seen in the Pagoda. The mighty Emperor monitoring entry by the gates of heaven is flanked by his senior officers, one bearing a light-weight to illuminate the trail, the other wielding an axe to manage justice, and his different officials and lesser deities.  

The King of Hell and his red horse are on the right of the chamber surrounded by the 2 gods of yin and yang, and four extra gods who mete out punishment for evil and reward goodness. He looks in the direction of the ‘Hall of the Ten Hells’, a room containing ten magnificently carved panes that vie with Hieronymus Bosch for depictions of the horrors awaiting the ungodly.

Next door, there is one other room with twelve ceramic figures of ladies with many babies presided over by Kim Hoa, the protector of all moms and children.

Each figurine represents a particular human characteristic, good or bad, and one 12 months of the 12 year Chinese language calendar. Childless couples often visit this small chapel to hope to be granted a child. 

To the left of the Jade Emperor in an enclosure containing Thien Loi, the god of lightning and different deities, is a life-sized effigy of a horse. This is additionally popular with girls who search fertility - they rub its flanks and neck and whisper their prayers in its ears. 

Elsewhere around the partitions are more effigies of figures from other religions, mainly Buddhism.  

For an Occidental, making sense of the wealthy symbolism, decoration and ritual is almost impossible. A good guide may help to shed a little gentle into the complexity of Taoism; it takes many years to amass a reason ready beneath standing of the faith.