Tay Ninh
Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, is home to the unique Cao
Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and
Winston Churchill to name a few. Founded in the 1920's by Ngo Van
Chieu, a Saigon civil servant, the religion is an eclectic mix of
Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity and at one time
had a very strong following in the Mekong Delta area, especially
with the rural poor. Van Chieu had a vision from 'Cao Dai' - the
Supreme Being to create a religion that would embrace all the major
world theologies.
The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney
fantasia of the East (author Graham Greene). The temple's exterior
is decorated with multi-colored dragons of all shapes and sizes
competing for space with a number of swastikas. The interior is
just as engaging as statues of Jesus Christ, Buddha and the Hindu
god, Brahma stand side by side.
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