Travelling through Southeast Asia, many tourists might notice small roadside shrines and Spirit Houses. Adorning shopfronts and homes, this practice ranges from makeshift shrines to ornate architectural buildings. Depending on regional differences, Spirit Houses might be filled with votive offerings such as talismans, flowers, fresh fruit, alcoholic beverages and incense.
Part of the overlooked every day, I didn’t know much about the function – let alone the social frameworks – for the Spirit House. Growing up in Vietnam in a Catholic family among our Buddhist and Daoist neighbours, I was aware that shrines, with their many variations, were incorporated across all different religions, classes of people and ethnic communities.
