The Thien Hau Temple is the most beloved and atmospheric of Cholon's Chinese temples, built by the Cantonese community in the early 19th century and dedicated to Thien Hau (Mazu), the sea goddess and protector of sailors. It is one of the oldest and most active temples in the district, thick with the smoke of the enormous incense coils that hang in spirals from the roof beams and burn for weeks at a time.
The temple is famous for the intricate ceramic friezes along its roofline — miniature scenes of figures, dragons, and pagodas made in Guangdong in the 1900s — and for the carved hardwood and gilded altars inside. It remains a working place of worship, busiest around the Lunar New Year and on the goddess's birthday in the third lunar month. On Nguyen Trai Street, it is the natural first stop on any walk through Cholon.