“บ่าจั๋วคอ”: เทพเจ้าแห่งเงินตรายุคหลัง “โด่ยเหมย” เวียดนาม: “บ่าจั๋วคอ”: เทพเจ้าแห่งเงินตรายุคหลัง “โด่ยเหมย” เวียดนาม

Silapakit Teekantikun

Authors

Silapakit Teekantikun Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Khon Kaen University

Keywords:

The Lady of Treasury, economic structure change, market economy, Vietnam

Abstract

Originally the Lady of Treasury (Bà Chúa Kho), the goddess of “Co Me” village in Bac Ninh province (North of Vietnam), was only worshipped by local people. After Vietnam has opened and integrated the country into global capitalism since the late 1980s, there are many people outside the village go to the shrine to "loan funds" (vay vốn), or to ask the "spirit money" (xin lộc rơi lộc vãi). They believe that with the power the Lady of the Treasury’s money will make their "money" growth.

This article argues that the emergence of the Lady of the Treasury as a goddess of financial growth in Vietnam has been the result of an economic structure change, from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, that has impact on people especially urban people. "Money" has become an important factor for their well-being of life. Therefore, people visit Lady of the Treasury shrine to ask for her help to access the limited resources (money and wealth) that they must compete in a market economy.

References

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Lady of Treasury: The “financial goddess” in post “Đổi Mới” Vietnam