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Emperor Jade Pagoda (Chua Ngoc Hoang or Phuoc Hai Tu)

73 Mai Thi Luu St, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Type: Religious Sites
Fee: No
Recommended length of visit: <1 hour
Description: Also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, this figurine-filled place of worship is considered by many to be Saigon’s finest.
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137 reviews from our community

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    13
    5
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Cape Town
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013 NEW

I was really disappointed when after walking for 20 minutes in the April heat to reach this prized pagoda. I was greeted by hundreds of stinky turtles in an overcrowded pond. There were also rats running around the premise which was hilarious but I guess normal for HCMC. The pagoda itself was tiny and unimpressive. There were cooking utensils, chairs,... More

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Singapore, Singapore
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

Big turtle and fishes. Else than that the temple is abit too small to be a tourists attraction. You can buy birds and turtles to set them free!

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See 8 more reviews by Brendanee for Ho Chi Minh City
Royal Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
17 attraction reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 5, 2013

Unlike many temples and pagodas we saw later in our tour, this one had a real feeling of being a part of the local people's daily lives, and the few tourists worked around worshippers. If travelling by taxi get it to wait / book a pick up afterwards because local traffic is a nightmare in the area.

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See 7 more reviews by DavidSB for Ho Chi Minh City
Tonbridge
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
6 attraction reviews
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 3, 2013

Small but very beautiful pagoda bang in the middle of the city. A lovely courtyard to relax in away from the hustle and bustle, watching people and the terrapins!

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See 6 more reviews by Nick H for Ho Chi Minh City
ho chi minh
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 3, 2013

Totally worth a visit. Enter the smoky interiors of the temple and be transported into another dimension. On the left hall, the jade emperor and his subordinates watch over the hall. In the same hall, the wood carvings tell of the different sins and the...! In another hall, there are deities surronded by little figurines representing children. According to the... More

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See 3 more reviews by Nguyen Khang Ho... H for Ho Chi Minh City
Melbourne, Australia
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 attraction reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 2, 2013

Rated one of the top pagodas in Saigon by a number of websites, however I was none too impressed. The most interesting thing about the temple was the turtile pond, and it was really dirty and overcrowded. Felt sorry for the turtles.

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See 2 more reviews by cookiemonster414 for Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
15 attraction reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 1, 2013

First try to visit the pagoda was on Tet but there have been so many people that we did not go in. Second try was three weeks later and it was a nice visit. Few people but a lot of foreigners. Nevertheless also some normal visitors have been there. You can buy outside some animals to give to the gods... More

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See 27 more reviews by Peter H for Ho Chi Minh City
Brisbane, Australia
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed April 27, 2013

Not sure why this place is an attraction. It's small, with nothing worthwhile to see. Of course, there are not many worthwhile temples in Saigon. Nevertheless, this one is obscure, small and dirty.

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See 4 more reviews by TheLongWayHome_10 for Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
9 attraction reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 24, 2013

It's stated to be the best in town...it's pretty, but underwhelming. The Jade Emperors are interesting looking and check out the turtles on the way in. Worth a visit though.

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See 16 more reviews by mikeygreen90 for Ho Chi Minh City
London
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
31 helpful votes 31 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2013

Not wasy to find if walking from other main attractions like Reunification Palace. However, for me it was worth the walk as the inside is stunning, and worth hanging around just to soak up the atmosphere. The temple was busy with locals lighting incense candles and praying. However i wasn't made to feel obtrusive, but welcomed with smiles as i... More

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See 7 more reviews by Rich_and_Sarah7 for Ho Chi Minh City

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