<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In February 2020, Vietnam closed its borders to prevent the emergence of COVID-19 in the country. Nevertheless, after the appearance of the first large infected cluster in March 2020, the situation gradually deteriorated since July 2020. The Vietnamese government decided to ban gatherings, and therefore certain religious practices. The religions in the country had to adapt their practices to this new situation. In this article, I will explore the situation of the Four Palaces (<italic>Tứ Phủ</italic>) and its possession ritual (<italic>len</italic> đồng). After recalling the chronology of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam, I will highlight how this worship adapted its practices in the north of the country at the beginning of the pandemic and during the Vietnamese lockdowns. Moreover, I will draw a parallel to discuss the ban of the ritual practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and the prohibition of “superstitious practices” that occurred in Vietnam between the late 1950s and the 1990s. The article will stress the importance of social media, in particular Facebook, and their uses by the mediums and followers of the Four Palaces while exploring the discourses that can be seen within the social networks.</p>
</abstract>

In February 2020, Vietnam closed its borders to prevent the emergence of COVID-19 in the country. Nevertheless, after the appearance of the first large infected cluster in March 2020, the situation gradually deteriorated since July 2020. The Vietnamese government decided to ban gatherings, and therefore certain religious practices. The religions in the country had to adapt their practices to this new situation. In this article, I will explore the situation of the Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ) and its possession ritual (len đồng). After recalling the chronology of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam, I will highlight how this worship adapted its practices in the north of the country at the beginning of the pandemic and during the Vietnamese lockdowns. Moreover, I will draw a parallel to discuss the ban of the ritual practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and the prohibition of “superstitious practices” that occurred in Vietnam between the late 1950s and the 1990s. The article will stress the importance of social media, in particular Facebook, and their uses by the mediums and followers of the Four Palaces while exploring the discourses that can be seen within the social networks.

The Four Palaces in Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Adaptation of a Vietnamese Worship between Prohibition, Safety, and Social Networks

Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In February 2020, Vietnam closed its borders to prevent the emergence of COVID-19 in the country. Nevertheless, after the appearance of the first large...

The Four Palaces in Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Adaptation of a Vietnamese Worship between Prohibition, Safety, and Social Networks

Published Online: Oct 11, 2022

Page range: 49 - 74

Received: Apr 11, 2022

Accepted: Sep 04, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjeas-2022-0003

Keywords
Vietnam, religion, COVID-19, spirit-mediumship, social networks

© 2022 Camille Senepin, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Four Palaces in Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Adaptation of a Vietnamese Worship between Prohibition, Safety, and Social Networks

Published Online: Oct 11, 2022

Page range: 49 - 74

Received: Apr 11, 2022

Accepted: Sep 04, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjeas-2022-0003

KeywordsVietnam, religion, COVID-19, spirit-mediumship, social networks

© 2022 Camille Senepin, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Vietnam, religion, COVID-19, spirit-mediumship, social networks