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On Lang GuildHall is one of the tourist destinations in Saigon for those who love Chinese architecture. On Lang GuildHall in District 5 is also known as On Lang Pagoda because inside it worships Thien Hau. But the most popular name is Quan Am Pagoda.
General information
| Address | No. 12 Lao Tu Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Opening hours | 6:15 am – 5:00 pm daily |
| Level of Monument | National Historical Relic 2002 |
General introduction
On Lang GuildHall, also known as On Lang Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda or Ong Lao Pagoda, is located at No. 12 Lao Tu Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City.
The GuildHall was restored and repaired 6 times in 1828, 1867, 1869, 1597, 1993 and 1995. In 2002, the GuildHall was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as the Relic of Architectural and Artistic at nation level under Decision No. 39/2002/QĐ-BVHTT dated December 30th, 2002.
From its historical perspective, the process of On Lang GuildHall’s formation, construction and development was associated with the process of Chin-Chiang (Tuyen Chau) people’s migration, settlement and development. Today, not only Fujian people (Phuc Kien peolple) but also many domestic and foreign tourists come to the On Lang GuildHall in order to express their faith in the gods and to experience the marked historical and cultural relic of an immemorial Saigon.
About typically unique architect and culture of the imemorial Saigon – ChoLon region:
The GuildHall was built on an area of about 1800m2, with roofing with its tube-tiles and bordering roof-edge with its lapis-tiles. In particular, the roof was shaped and decorated by the espcially architectural Fujian with curved ridge-eaves, curved blade attached to citadel-architecture by colorful ceramic.
The GuildHall’s campus included of a small courtyard in front, a fish pond across the street in front of the GuildHall, a rectangular block in the middle (including: front hall, middle hall, main hall) and three perpendicular rows of houses forming U-Shape, separated the central block by walkways.
The front hall starts from two sides of the main threshold, which of a pair of stone Qilins that were dedicated in 1869. Above the frame-door was a chinese character board “On Lang Hoi Quan” (“On Lang GuildHall”) that was carved into the façade’s wall. The parallel sentences were carved on the frame-door, on which were given to The GuildHall by a Chinese First-doctoral Candidate when he had came here in 1901:
“ÔN nhu tức chí nhân, thánh đạo thiên dân nguyên Khổng Dịch,
LĂNG nhạc đồng trang trọng, mẫu nghi hình ngã cánh vô phương”
(Gentle, elegant, by the way of the holy Confucius teachings people,
Solemn, disciplined Temple of the holy Mother blesses everywhere).
On the façade’s wall, there are wooden reliefs and full-blown reliefs of the Four Great Diamonds. The architectural part under the porch was elaborately decorated with lotus flowers that was carved inverted at the head of the purlin, wooden quilin-statues, flower strings… painting gilded-vermillion on the horizontal bars. No altar in the front hall but only a rectangular high-shelf and a large ceramic incensory. In the left corner of the front hall, there was a large bell that was molded in Foshan, Guangdong, China in 1885.
The middle hall was where the Jade Emperor was worshiped, with an altar on which was a statue of the Jade Emperor and two statues of Nam Tao and Bac Dau. Along both sides of the middle hall were full-blown two reliefs of Blue Dragon (Thanh Long) and White Tiger (Bach Ho) on the walls.
The main hall is the shrine of The Empress of Heaven God (Thien Hau Thanh Mau), a Goddess from Fujian who often helps people at sea. On the left and right were the shrines of the Lady-Daughter of God (Chua Sinh Nuong Nuong) and the shrine of Virtue-Integrity God (Phuc Duc Chinh Than). Each shrine was decorated with elaborately carved panels. The shrine of Thien Hau Thanh Mau also had two screens on both sides, bring to the solemnity.
The shrine of Thien Hau Thanh Mau, which was about 2.5 meters in height, was made in 1867, there was carved with “Two dragons facing the moon”, Couple of Phoenixes, Pines – Cranes… Thien Hau Thanh Mau was shaped like a kind lady wearing a brocade robe with two women standing on two sides to attend. At the feet of Thien Hau Thanh Mau was a ancestral tablet inscribed in Chinese characters “Appoint to Nation-Protector Ti Dan Thien Thai Hau Nguyen Quan”. A little lower below of Thien Hau Thanh Mau’s feet was two statues of Thien Ly Nhan god (who could see a thousand miles range) and Thuan Phong Nhi god (who could hear a thousand miles range).
The shrine of the the Lady-Daughter of God and the Virtue-Integrity God were both dated on 1897, both about 2 meters height and there were carved similarly with themes of Two Dragons fighting for a Fire-Pearl, Couple of Phoenixes, Bamboo and Birds, Lotus and Duck… In addition to the statue of Lady-Daughter of God, the shirne also had many statues of the Midwives taking care and holding children. The shirine of the Virtue-Integrity God displaying two sets of statues of Mr Bon and his two assistants, who were White King (dressed in white, taking care of the day) and Black King (dressed in black, taking care of the night).
At the end of the main hall, there were also two doors leading to the front yard of the back hall. In this yard, there was an altar of Quan Am Bodhisattva arranged with its back against the wall of the main hall, facing the back hall. The statue of Quan Am Bodhisattva was nearly 2 meters height, standing on a lotus throne, holding a bottle of holy water to save sentient beings, attended two sides by the statues of Kim Dong and Ngoc Nu.
The back hall was decorated with a row of six shrine, which was displayed in the same. Above each shrine was hung a horizontal-lacquered board praising the merits of the Gods. The shrine of Quan Am Bodhisattva was placed in the middle with a statue of Quan Am sitting on a lotus throne. On the left there were the shrine of Quan De and Bao Cong. The statue of Quan De was a red-faced General with Quan Binh and Chau Xuong attending him, while Bao Cong is a black-faced Mandarin sitting on a throne, and the shrine of Quang Trach Ton King.
On Lang GuildHall had many altars, so the number of worship statues was also greater than other guildhalls. In addition to the shrines, incensories and door panels that were delicately carved by methods of penetrated, sunken, and gilded techniques; On Lang GuildHall also had 23 horizontal-lacquered boards dating from 1826 to 1908 and 16 pairs of parallel sentences dating from 1841 to 1901. Most of these were donated by the Quynh Phu, Tue Thanh, Ha Chuong, Nhi Phu GuildHalls… on the occasion of restoration.
The attracting value of experiential tourism
The ancient and long-period Quan Am Pagoda was one of the famous spiritual tourist destinations in Saigon. This destination was suitable for people to come to worship, dedicate incense and spend moments of relaxation and peace in front of Buddha. Having come here, all the worries on your shoulders seem to disappear and be left behind. If you would have come in bustling Saigon, please should try to visit On Lang GuildHall – Quan Am Pagoda.
