The complex patchwork of belief in Vietnam
In Vietnam, little is what it appears to be on the surface. The country’s religion is an excellent example. Ostensibly, Vietnam is a Buddhist country – around 80% of the population regard themselves as adherents. Pagodas are everywhere, and Buddhist festivals are embedded in the calendar. Also evident are temples with large effigies of obviously non-Buddhist deities and historical figures, as well as Christian churches and signs of other religious sects.
Visitors often correctly assume that, as in their own country, many different religions are practiced in Vietnam. Not so! Although in most countries people commit themselves to a specific religion, sect or cult, in Vietnam, people subscribe to several different canons of beliefs simultaneously.
