This is one of a group of temples/pagodas in the Cho Lon area and they’re all in pretty bad disrepair. There were a ton of kids running around and women posing for “glamour shot” photos, and a huge amount of smoke from the incense that is sold by many vendors outside and inside. It all felt a bit disingenuousness and forced, rather than reverential and respectful.

Dedicated to Chinese General Quan Cong, the Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda was most impressive for its exquisite gilded woodwork. The pagoda sat on a large piece of property and thus did not seem cramped like so many others in Cholon. Gates with elaborate grillwork, and a large carved decorative wall, set it apart from the busy street. The main entrance to the temple was extremely colorful, attractive and inviting. Although not an historical figure with which we were familiar, Quan Cong's temple was none-the-less interesting. The ceiling treatment was different, the ornate altar was striking and the large carved statue of his sacred red horse invited a photo. Perhaps not the most beatufiul or expansive of pagodas, Nghia An Hoi Quan was definitely worth the visit.