Jade Emperor

At the far edge of District One lies the Jade Emperor Pagoda. I know that it's there because I finally found it. I did not find it with my crappy map, bargained for earlier. No, I found it by means of pantomime. When a Vietnamese security guy makes a pointy hat over his head with his arms and then gives you hand directions, it means "The pagoda is that way."

This would have worked if the pagoda was tall and pointy like most are. This one, however, was squat and short. I literally stumbled upon the gate as I was accosted by the fish and turtle sellers. There are always folks outside temples selling something to offer up.

The idea is you free the turtles and/or fishes into the ponds on the temple grounds. This earns you merit; Karna points for setting the little fellers free. What actually happens is the big fish in the pond eat the little feeder fish you just threw in, eat them like popcorn. The turtles? They get caught and re-sold the next day. Think of it as recycling.

Meanwhile, in the pagoda, the Emperor sorts out the good folks from the bad, while his deity henchman accomplish the deed. In case you are wondering what awaits the bad folks, there are ten beautifully carved wooden panels showing all too clearly what's in store. It's sort if an Asian version of Himonyous Bosch.

The clouds of incense combined with amazing light and shadow play made for a surreal experience.