Some Notes for Visitors Going on a Pilgrimage to Chau Doc

In January (lunar calendar), many people often pilgrimage to Chau Doc (An Giang), visit Ba Chua Xu (the Local Goddess) Temple to pray for peace and luckiness in the early morning.

Located at the foot of Sam Mountain in Chau Doc town, An Giang, Ba Chua Xu Temple has long been a famous spiritual tourist destination in Western Vietnam, attracts about 2 million groups of pilgrims to visit. The most crowded time is from January to March in lunar calendar. Especially in January, the temple is always crowded of pilgrims.

To serve the needs of pilgrims, there are many services such as selling the offerings, roasted pork for lease, bird releases, telling the fortune… around the temple. To avoid being “cleaned out” when visiting Ba Chua Xu Temple , you should note the following advices.

Some Notes for Visitors Going on a Pilgrimage to Chau Doc

Ba Chu Xu temple attracts millions of visitor to visit each year

Ask for the price carefully before buying

You can buy flowers, fruits in the stops along the way, or buy at the places near the ferry. Prices in these areas will be cheaper in the temple.

If you do not buy on the way, you should go to large stores around the temple and ask for the price carefully before buying. Do not buy incense from retailers or vendors because apart from being more expensive, after the purchase, you have to continue to “suffer” those who beg you to buy lottery tickets, ask for money, send a fortune …

Do not buy, rent roasted pork in the temple

There are many points selling or leasing roasted pork around the temple. Roasted pork prices in these places will be VND 50,000 / kg higher than other places, or the pork has been kept long, or even is reused because it had previously been used as offering to worship by other people. If you can not bring pork from home, the best way is not to buy or rent roasted pork in the temple.

Pilgrims often offer roasted pork in the temple

Do not release birds

As to the temple, after the purchase of fruit, incense as offerings, you should go straight to the temple but not get any luck from others because you have to pay a lot of money.

After burning incense and worshipping, you should not release birds even when the price is agreed because, when the sellers drop out the birds, they will count the number of bird released, as a result, you have to pay a incredibly higher price.

There have been many cases in which the pilgrims and sellers quarrel seriously, even fight with each other; therefore, an advice for you is to not care about this service despite being invited enthusiastically.

Read more : The Interesting Stops in Chau Doc Border Region

Keep your wallet carefully

In lunar January, Ba Chua Xu Temple is always full of pilgrims. Upon entering the main hall of the temple area, you have to be very careful with your wallet. When going to the temple, you should not carry large amounts of cash, if leaving money in the bag, it must be fastened and turned to the front to avoid being stolen.

Visit the Sam mountain relic

Besides Ba Chua Xu Temple, Sam mountain population also have Tay An ancient temple, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, Hang (Cave) temple and many pagodas and shrines on the mountain. These are all popular attractions in Chau Doc.

If you go in two days, you should look at Tinh Bien. From Chau Doc, you drive another 30 km to Cam (Forbidden) Mountain (Tinh Bien) in the legendary “That Son” (7 Mountains) in An Giang where the largest statue of Maitreya Buddha in Asia. This is a famous pilgrimage site in Tinh Bien and attracts many pilgrims in lunar January.

The Maitreya Buddha statue on top of Cam mountain

Buy specialties in Chau Doc market

If you want to buy local products as gifts, you can visit Chau Doc market which is about 5 km from Ba Chua Xu Temple. The market sell mostly are fish sauce, dried products (almost half of the market area) with a wide variety. The famous sauce brands here are Ba Giao Khoe, Tu At, Ut Canh …

Specialties sold at Chau Doc market

Besides fish sauce, Chau Doc is also known for jaggery. Jaggery is cool, if you buy to bring home, ask the seller to cut it and put in boxes. Besides fresh jaggery fruit, there are jaggery sugar, jam,…