We docked at Can Tho City late in the afternoon. This was altogether a much larger and more vibrant settlement than we had become accustomed to. We moored up alongside a park area. Across from this was the main street and then off to the left, a large market area.
Shortly after we arrived, two unicorns turned up. To me, a unicorn is a white horse that poops rainbow coloured ice-cream and has a narwhale tusk on its head. Not here. In Vietnam we have the Tứ linh, the Four Sacred Animals. These are:
- Long (Dragon) Represents power, nobility, and the emperor.
- Lân (Unicorn / Qilin): Represents luck, virtue, and peace.
- Quy (Turtle / Tortoise): Represents longevity, wisdom, and stability.
- Phượng / Phụng (Phoenix): Represents grace, rebirth, and nobility.
These turn up all over the place from small household decorations to major installations in temples. Our two unicorns looked, to me, like saffron yellow dragons or possibly lion-dogs. But they were definitely unicorns. A unicorn has hooves rather than claws, which is how to tell the difference. Our unicorns actually had sneakers just to add to the confusion. Nonetheless, they were here to do the Vietnamese unicorn dance, the múa lân, for us. The dance is a vibrant traditional performance that brings blessings of prosperity, happiness, and luck during major celebrations like Tết (Lunar New Year), the Mid-Autumn Festiva and when the Mekong Princess arrives on your doorstep. Its origins are in China where it is called a Lion Dance. From there, it has now spread all over the world. Since 1984, there is a biannual Lion dance world championship in Malaysia.
Each dragon was manned by two energetic youths. Accompanying them are two actors representing Ông Địa – pot-bellied God of the earth and Thần Tài – God of wealth and prosperity. According to legend, Ông Địa tamed the wild, beastly unicorn to bring peace and good fortune to humans. During the dance, he clears the path, interacts with the crowd, and playfully teases the mythical beasts with a palm-leaf fan. Thần Tài wears regal, imperial robes (usually bright red and gold), a traditional mandarin hat with extended wings, and a long black beard. He often carries a golden ingot (thỏi vàng). He bows politely to business owners and hands out symbolic red envelopes to attract financial success. Together, Ông Địa and Thần Tài represent a complete blessing for a household or business—Ông Địa brings peaceful stability to the land, while Thần Tài brings flowing wealth and fortune
The pace and emotion of the entire dance are controlled by the musicians who perform right alongside the dancers. They are viewed as core characters of the performance rather than just background music.
The whole performance probably only took about 10 minutes. But it was both fascinating and fun to watch. Once everything was over, our guide, Nam from Vietnam, took us off to explore the Zuhang Pagoda and the market. Dusk was falling and lights were coming on. We visited a statue of Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho) in the park. Ho Chi Minh sailed the world as cook on a ship. He joined the French Communist Party in Paris in 1920 to advocate for anti-colonial freedom. He formed the Viet Minh independence movement in 1941 and seized power in Hanoi, declaring Vietnam’s independence from the French in 1945. Of course, the French may have been a little distracted on account of WW2. Uncle Ho is revered in Vietnam. There is a strong cult of personality.
The Zuhang Pagoda was built 1890 by Chinese immigrants. It features traditional vibrant colours, glazed tiles, and intricate roof carvings. It was recognised as a national historic and cultural relic in 1993. The temple primarily honours the Chinese deity Guan Yu alongside altars for the Goddess of Mercy (Quan Âm) and the God of Fortune (Thần Tài). We had just been blessed by Thần Tài so it seemed appropriate that we popped in for a visit. Wikipedia mentions “The interior is famous for its large, slowly burning conical incense coils that hang from the ceiling, filling the space with a fragrant, atmospheric haze”. The truth is a thick smog of smoke that will leave you gasping if you spend too much time in there.
Back out in the fresh air, we could inhale the fresh air deeply and smell the durian fruit. Diane and I encountered durian in Thailand. To some people it is the king of fruit. To others, the smell is as if the worst sewer ever had been rotting for a hundred years. It is banned on public transport and in most hotels.
The market was quite amazing in the early evening darkness. Masses of fruit and vegetables along with many types of animal parts, fish bits and things with suckers on. There were also little plates of prepared food, cakes, sweets, raw stuff, cooked stuff and stuff that could have been anything. One stall had a great display of food on skewers. I think the idea was that you made a selection and then cooked it yourself on the charcoal grill at the front. It was quite remarkable just how much food was on display. We looked politely but saved ourselves for the lovely meal that chef was preparing on the Princess.
