Values Of Chinese Folk Beliefs In The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

The Mekong Delta in Vietnam is one of the largest and most fertile deltas in Southeast Asia and the world. With many rivers and canals, therefore, the Mekong Delta is also a wild land with many wild animals and natural disasters: "The first half of season is dry, the rest of it is monsoon"; "When you row a boat, you are afraid of crocodiles biting your feet. When you get off the boat, you are afraid of leeches, and when you go to the forest, you are afraid of ghosts". Besides the harshness of nature, this land has flat terrain, fertile alluvial soil, and a mild climate. Therefore, this place has long been inhabited by many different ethnic groups. Since the 17th century, (the Mekong Delta) has received many ethnic groups: "Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer, and Cham. Ethnic groups come here to make a living and bring their ethnic beliefs with them as a protection to help them stay strong in a foreign land: "When I go away, please take care of yourself and call God for help". Each ethnic group has different beliefs where the Chinese worship Ba Thien Hau, worship Duc Quan Thanh, worship Ba Quan Am, and worship Thien (with the concept: it is the river gods, the sea gods, the gods specializing in saving people at sea like Ba Thien Hau who have blessed them a lot on their long journeys to Vietnam, so the temples are often built on the riverbank, is for the gods to guard, prevent all bad luck, bring good luck and good things). All the above good cultural and religious elements need to be preserved, protected, and handed down. Experiencing hundreds of years of history, along with indigenous folk beliefs, folk beliefs of the Chinese people are becoming social consciousness, connecting the community, contributing to meeting the needs of the people's cultural and spiritual activities, and consolidating. The improve moral values, ​​and ways of life of the Vietnamese people have practical significance for the people of the Mekong Delta.