I cannot seem to get bored of visiting temples. I’d always have an interest in the meanings of these forms, colors and  organisation, which never fail to keep me in awe.   In the south of the country, I encountered the same temples that I left behind in Cambodia. The ethnic and religious influences in this country remain present. In contrast, the strongest possible evidence of Chinese culture lingers in the north of the countrie.

On the banks of the Mekong, I hear the beat of drums. I had expected, as usual, the drumming to be a call from a temple. But I realized, to my great surprise, that the call originated from a mosque. After the prayers, a youth invited me for tea and explained the functions of the community.  Here are the Chams, an ethnic majority present in Cambodia (where they suffered the Khmer genocide) and in Vietnam. The call to prayer, unlike in other muslim countries, is the beating of the drums – a clear Buddhism influence. 

Tea was followed by dinner at a neighbor’s. The young man would rather play the role of interpreter between me and the rest of the community. I discovered there are some Chams who pray once a week (on Fridays) instead of 5 times per day as in the tradition for the rest of the Muslims, and they fast only for 3 days during Ramadan instead of a month. This is probably the result of influences from several religions in this region – what a surprise! 

Heading northwards, and happy that I still get amazed in this highly globalized world.