Sa Đéc, Vietnam. Feb 18, 2024: Cao Đài Thánh-Thất (Temple, Church, Holy House) where the ceremonies and prayers of the followers of Caodaism faithful are practiced. This Vietnamese monotheistic syncretic religion, claiming 5 million believers worldwide, celebrated the Great Ceremony of the Supreme Being in the year of the Dragon 2024, like every year on the 8/9th day of the first lunar month. This is one of the most important rituals of Cao Dai Church. Based on occult practices of Taoism, this worship will celebrate its official 100th anniversary in 2026. Credit: Kevin Izorce/Alamy Live News
Caodaism is a syncretist modern Vietnamese religious movement with a strongly nationalist political character. Cao Dai draws upon ethical precepts from Confucianism, occult practices from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, and a hierarchical organization (including a pope) from Roman Catholicism. Its pantheon of saints includes such diverse figures as the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muḥammad, Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, and Sun Yat-sen. In Cao Dai, God is represented as an eye in a triangle, a symbol that appears on the facades of the sect’s temples. The religion’s organization is patterned after that of Roman Catholicism, with a pope, cardinals, and archbishops. Worship involves elaborate rituals and festivals.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: Sa Dec (Sa Đéc), Đồng Tháp Province, Mekong river Delta, southern Vietnam, Asia
Photo credit: © KEVIN IZORCE / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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