Within the Hoi An Old Town World Heritage Area, Teochew Assembly Hall is the most important place for the Chinese Teochew community in Hoi An. It’s used to worship Ma Yuan, a real figure in ancient China and later becoming a god. Interestingly, in 1930, the French School of the Far East added it into Vietnam’s typical cultural heritages (together with Ba Mu Temple) due to its high values of architecture and art. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will tell everything that visitors need to know about Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An.
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• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Teochew Assembly Hall (Hoi An)
– Location/address: 362 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Son Phong ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, Vietnam
– Other name(s): Trieu Chau Assembly Hall, Chaozhou Assembly Hall, Chaozhou Pagoda, Teochew Pagoda, Ong Bon Pagoda, Assembly Hall of Chinese Chaozhou Congregation, Hoi Quan Trieu Chau
– Year of construction: before 1845
– Opening hours: 8:30 AM to 5 PM everyday
– Ticket price: 120,000 VND for foreign adult & children above 15 years old, free for smaller kids (see more details)
– Reason(s) to visit: one of the most important Chinese temples in Hoi An, sophisticated architecture and decoration, photo opportunities
– Best time to visit: any time during the day
– Time to spend: 30 mins
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/teochew-assembly-hall-hoi-an
– Recognition(s): Vietnam’s typical cultural heritage (1930 by the French School of the Far East), Vietnam’s national monument, Unesco world heritage site (1999)
– Tour guide: contact +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo)
– Food & drink: no
– Shopping: no
– Fact: Teochew Assembly Hall is one of the most lovely and peaceful temples in Hoi An
Teochew Assembly Hall (Hoi An) on Map
History of Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An
Within Hoi An Ancient Town, the Teochew Assembly Hall (Trieu Chau Assembly Hall, Chaozhou Assembly Hall) was built before 1845 by the Chinese Chaozhou community in Hoi An. It’s rebellished in 1887, 1970 and 1991. Up to date, community members have visited this place to pray, meet up, and celebrate communal activities. The biggest/most important festival of the year is ‘spring ceremony’ on the 16th day of the first lunar month.
Teochew or Chaozhou is a city in eastern Guangdong province, China. People here migrated to Hoi An some hundreds of years ago.
The Teochew Assembly Hall is used to worship Ma Yuan, a Chinese military general and politician (lived from 14 BC to 49 AD) who became a god after death. His official title – Fubo Jiangjun or Phuc Ba Tuong Quan means ‘the General who Calms the Waves’. For merchants, fishermen, seafarers, and whoever often travels on the sea, he blesses a safe journey. In history, this man suppressed the Trung sisters’ rebellion in present-day northern Vietnam in 43, the first Vietnamese rebellion against Chinese domination. Before that, Trung Trac, the older sister led an armed uprising in 40, to avenge the killing of her husband, and then became an emperor. Trung Nhi, younger sister, was a vice-king or queen. Later, Chinese monarch commissioned Ma Yuan to suppress Trung sisters. After defeated, they jumped into the river to kill themselves, to avoid being captured by the Chinese. Today, they are national heroes of Vietnam, and named after major roads in all cities.
In Hoi An, Teochew Assembly Hall is also known as ‘Ong Bon Pagoda’ where local merchants and sellers come to pray for luck and good business. If everything happens as they expected, they will return and give offsprings to thank. Besides that, some business owners also borrow money here. At the end of the year, they return the same amount of money (to the god) and plus an extra, if they have profit. This tradition is believed to bring good fortune.
Besides Ma Yuan, the community also worships the God of Wealth and the Right God of Blessing and Virtue (Fudezhengshen).
From 1988 to 1990, the Teochew Assembly Hall was the working place of a state-owned wool carpet making cooperative. Since 1990, it’s given back to the community.
In 1989, archaeologists discovered many ceramics and old currencies underground in the Teochew Assembly Hall, dating back from 15th to 20th centuries. They are produced in China, Japan, and Vietnam.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Architecture of Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An
About the architecture,Teochew Assembly Hall of Hoi An has an entrance gate, an entrance hall, a courtyard, a worshipping hall, the West house and the East house.
The Entrance gate of Teochew Assembly Hall has three entrances, four columns, and three tile roofs. Above the middle entrance, there is a name board with 4 Chinese words meaning ‘Assembly Hall of Chinese Teochew Congregation’. Its metal fence gate has images of carp which symbolizes good fortune in Chinese folk culture and belief.
After a small yard, visitors will see the Entrance Hall. It has three entrances, and many layers of tile roof, all crusted by dragons. There are two guardian lions on sides of the middle entrance, protecting the holy area inside from evils and bad spirits. Above them, parallel sentences written in Chinese inscriptions have beautiful significances, and a horizontal wooden board with golden words. On two red-lacquered wooden doors of the main entrance, there are 4 Chinese words meaning ‘Shenshu’ and ‘Yulu’. These are names of two door gods who punished evil spirits by binding them in reed ropes and feeding them to tigers. In other Chinese assembly halls in town, people paint them instead of showing their names. Decorative motifs on the façade, roof and wooden carvings portray dragons spitting water, birds and flowers, lotus, daisy, four holy animals, carp fishes, gourd wine bottles, more. All of them are painted or mosaiced exquisitely by highly-skilled local artisans and commissioned by rich Teochew merchants.
Walking in and looking to the right, it’s possible to see a mural painting which depicts ‘gold and jade full in the hall’ (a Chinese idiom), symbolizing prosperity, good luck, and good business. On the other side, there is another painting that depicts three deities of Longevity (left), Prosperity (middle), and Fortune (right).
The Worshipping Hall is dedicated to worship Ma Yuan (Chinese military general) as main deity (middle), the God of Wealth and the Right God of Blessing and Virtue (Fudezhengshen) on both sides. On its roof, instead of dragons, carp dragons are used for decoration. This mythical animal symbolizes sudden uplifting in one’s social status, and is often used to encourage students or children to achieve success through hard work and perseverance.
The East house and the West house are where people meet up, have a break or prepare offspring and other necessary stuff in communal events.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Tips to Visit Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An
– It’s needed to buy entry ticket for Hoi An Ancient Town and then sightsee Teochew Assembly Hall. The nearest ticket booth is in crossroad of Hoang Dieu Street and Tran Phu Street. The price is 120,000 VND for adult and children above 15 years ago. See more information & details
– Teochew Assembly Hall is a temple, so visitors need to wear respectfully if want to walk into it for visiting/praying. See more information & details below.
– Vietnamese traditional costume ao dai dress is highly recommended. Any garment made of see-through material is not respectful.
– Teochew Assembly Hall is one of best Instragrammable spots in Hoi An
– In the dry season, from February to the end of August, visitors should bring sun cream, hat/cap/umbrella, sun glasses, and bottles of water to drink. If don’t have, it’s easy to buy at shops near Teochew Assembly Hall of Hoi An.
– In the rainy season, from September to January, visitors should bring rain poncho/jacket or umbrella, sandals or waterproof shoes. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast usually when traveling during this period.
– From October to December (the rainy season), the town may be flooded, so visitors need to keep updating the weather before going to Hoi An.
– The best way to visit the Hoi An Old Town is walking, so make sure that you have good/comfortable shoes or sandals.
– Smartphone or camera is needed for taking pictures. For more experiences, visitors can consider renting Vietnamese traditional costume (for example, ao dai long dress for ladies) or even booking a private photographer (contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) if you need).
– Don’t forget bringing cash to pay for entry fee tickets and small things because many places in Vietnam don’t accept payment by cards.
– It’s better to visit Teochew Assembly Hall with a local guide. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) if you need a professional guide in Hoi An.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Dress Code at Teochew Assembly Hall of Hoi An
Although there is no dress code checking at the Teochew Assembly Hall, to respect gods and local culture, we suggest wearing long clothes while visiting. The pieces should cover the armpits, navel, upper knees and shouldn’t be see-through or too sexy. It also means that shorts, tank top, swimsuits, etc are not appropriate. If visiting on a hot day, visitors can use a long piece of fabric (such as swimwear wrap) to cover and go around, and take it off after leaving the temple.
During the rainy season, before walking in the worshipping buidlings, please remove hat, cap, umbrella, sun glasses and rain poncho/jacket.
All religions, genders and nationalities are welcomed. Taking photos is okay here too.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
How to Get to Hoi An’s Teochew Assembly Hall
Teochew Assembly Hall is at 236 Nguyen Duy Hieu St, Son Phong ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, Hoi An. It’s within the Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage area, but not in the pedestrian area. So, visitors can use all road vehicles to get to it.
From Hoi An, visitors can take a taxi/car/electric car/minivan/bus, hotel shuttle bus, bicycle, or motorbike to Teochew Assembly Hall. If like riding the bicycle or motorcycle, it’s possible to park on the sidewalk around the temple’s entrance, without a fee.
From Da Nang, to see Teochew Assembly Hall, visitors can book a roundtrip transfer by car/minivan/bus, or ride the motorbike. The price of a private car transfer (2 ways) to Hoi An is from 700,000 VND. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) to book.
If want to ride a motorbike from Da Nang, the cost is lower. One day rental in Da Nang is 100,000-250,000 VND/bike, without gasoline, insurance, and parking fees. The best route to go is the coastal road Vo Nguyen Giap/Truong Sa St. Rides just need to follow it until the crossroad of Hai Ba Trung St and Lac Long Quan St in Hoi An (a traffic light here), and then turn right. After that, ride straight ahead, across rice fields, and follow Hai Ba Trung St, Ly Thuong Kiet St, Ngo Gia Tu St, Hoang Dieu St, and then Nguyen Duy Hieu St to see Teochew Assembly Hall. There is no public parking lot here, but visitors can park on the pavement near the temple’s entrance, and sure, it’s free. Please don’t park the bike on the street because it’s small and busy during the day.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Itinerary to Visit Hoi An Old Town for First Timer
First of all, to enter and visit the Hoi An Old Town (the part inscribed by Unesco), visitors need to buy an entry ticket. Its price is 120,000 VND per adult and children above 15 years old and free of charge for smaller kids. Entry to 5 attractions is also included for free. See more information & details
If possible, first time visitors should go with a local guide, to know better about history and culture. Contact us by +84968009827 (call/whatsapp) to book a private English-speaking guide.
We suggest this itinerary for first timers:
Total distance: 1,65 kilometers
– Starting point: the Japanese style gate (the west end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street). A model of the Red Seal Ship Model (Japanese merchant’s ship) and a ticket office are in a close distance.
– Walk along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee Cam Pho Communal House (ticket required), Japanese Culture Gallery (ticket required), Phung Hung Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required), Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel (in the alleyway, ticket required).
– Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the symbol of Hoi An. This place definitely is a must see attraction.
– Walk along Tran Phu Street, the most beautiful road in Hoi An, until Hoi An Central Market. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee so many historical attractions. From the bridge to the market, there are Cantonese Assembly Hall (ticket required), Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (ticket required), Duc An Old House (ticket required), Kazik Park (free), Quan Thang Old House (ticket required), Museum of Trade Ceramics (ticket required), Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (ticket required), Fujian Assembly Hall (ticket required), Quan Cong Temple (ticket required), Quan Am Pagoda (ticket required), Hoi An Central Market (free to enter), a couple of rooftop coffee shops, Instagrammable spots, shophouses selling lanterns, food, souvenirs and fashion items.
– Walk southwards and along Tieu La Street (east side of Hoi An Central Market). On this road, there are many vendors and stalls selling a diversity of local products, giving a good chance to know about local life and photograph.
– Walk westwards and along Bach Dang Street (the riverside street). On this road, visitors will see Hoi An Traditional Performance House (ticket required if want to watch shows) and Museum of Folklore (ticket required).
– Turn into Le Loi Street and then turn left, walking along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. On this road, visitors will see Tan Ky Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required) and Diep Dong Nguyen Old House (not yet opened to visitors, see from outside).
– The ending point: the crossroad near the north end of An Hoi Bridge or the west end of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. In the evening, from here, visitors can walk cross the bridge and then turn right to see the entrance of the Hoi An Night Market, the biggest night market in Hoi An.
For more details and the map, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-self-guided-walking-tour
Guided Tours to Hoi An Ancient Town Vietnam
From Hoi An
– Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour – 2 Hour Express Tour with Local
– Hoi An Half Day Walking Tour with Traditional Art Performance
– Hoi An City Tour: Old Town, Coconut Village & Lunch
– Hoi An Morning Walking Tour with Local Breakfast & Coffee
– Hoi An Afternoon Walking Tour with Thu Bon River Sunset Cruise
– Hoi An Night Tour with Lantern Boat Ride & Dinner
– Hoi An History & Food Tour – Famous Landmarks & Specialty Dishes
– Hoi An Instagram Tour: Best Photo Spots & Rooftop Café
– Hoi An Old Town Food Tour with Night Boat Ride
– Hoi An Old Town Private Walking Tour with Local Expert
– Hoi An City Tour by Electric Car
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
From Da Nang
– Hoi An Half Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Hoi An Memories Show
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An City Tour from Airport
– Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang with Chinese Speaking Guide
– My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An Tour – World Heritage Site Tour
– Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Chan May Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Intercontinental Danang Resort
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Lang Co
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Places to Visit near Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An
– Bridges: Japanese Covered Bridge (Pagoda Bridge), Moonlight Bridge, An Hoi Bridge (Bridge of Lights), Cam Nam Bridge
– Museums: Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, Museum of Folklore, Museum of Trade Ceramics, Museum of Traditional Medicine, Hoi An Museum of History & Culture, Japanese Culture Gallery, Black Sesame Soup Demonstration, Museum of Local Products
– Chinese assembly halls: Cantonese Assembly Hall, Fujian Assembly Hall, Trung Hoa Assembly Hall, Hainan Assembly Hall, Teochew Assembly Hall
– Heritage houses: Tan Ky Old House, Phung Hung Old House, Duc An Old House, Quan Thang Ancient House, Diep Dong Nguyen House, Thai Phien Ancient House
– Temples & pagodas: Quan Cong Temple (Ong Pagoda), Ba Mu Temple, Phap Bao Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, Hoi An Confucius Temple, Cao Dai Temple of Hoi An, Hoi An Ancestral Temple, Cam Pho Confucius Temple, Minh Huong Confucius Temple, Vien Giac Pagoda, Hy Hoa Temple
– Family chapels: Tran Family Chapel, Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel
– Communal houses: Cam Pho Communal House, Hoi An Communal House, Minh Huong Communal House, Tu Le Communal House, Xuan Lam Communal House, Son Phong Communal House
– Markets: Hoi An Central Market, Hoi An Cloth/Fabric Market, Hoi An Night Market (Nguyen Hoang Night Market), Cam Pho Market
– Theatres: Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House, Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts (now where Teh Dar Show takes place), Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park (now where Hoi An Memories Show takes place)
– Famous streets: Tran Phu Street, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Bach Dang Street/Wharf, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Hoi An Lantern Streets
– Other points of interest: Red Seal Ship Model, Hoi An Evanlegical Church, Thong Dang Prison & Park, Kazik Park (Memory Statue of Kazimierz Kwiatkowski), Hoai River (Hoi An River), Song Hoai Square, An Hoi Sculpture Park, Hoi An Catholic Church, Hoi An Prison, Hoi An Central Park, Ba Le Well, Hoi An Lantern Park, An Hoi Island, Cam Nam Island, Thu Bon River, Da Ken Tree
Photos, Videos about Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An
Here are beautiful photos and videos about Teochew Assembly Hall in Hoi An:
