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>> Sacred places, profane behaviour
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Taking advantage of a large influx of visitors to pagodas after Tet, many people tried to disguise themselves as monks to earn money.
A contingent of impostor monks hung around Ba Pagoda, in southern Binh Duong Province, day and night, their heads shaved, asking tourists for money.
According to Buddhist tenets, monks should travel barefoot. But these “monks” were wearing sandals and carrying conical hats. When our reporter took photos, they used these hats to cover their faces.
At Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City, a group of bird sellers and fortune tellers sit on the first floor, in the middle of the main entrance. They were not keen on having their photos taken either, running away when they noticed a camera.
Impostor monks seen at many pagodas
False monks at Ba Pagoda (Photo: Vnexpress)
Vendors outside Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
Fortune-telling books sold at Ba Pagoda (Photo: Vnexpress)
