Abstract
Abstract: Quán Âm Bồ Tát (Guanyin Bodhisattva) has been part of the long history of Vietnamese Buddhism. Long considered as a patron and protective presence for mariners, the worship of Nam Hải Guanyin (Guanyin of the Southern Sea) as a sea god along the Central and Southwestern coast of Vietnam is a relatively recent phenomenon in which multiple factors, some of them unprecedented, are at play. Based on fieldwork in Central and Southwestern Vietnam, this essay analyzes how Nam Hải Guanyin became a major presence in the religious practices of coastal communities in recent times, describing how Nam Hải Guanyin, as icon and symbol, has been part of a process of systematizing worship and institutionalizing beliefs in order to spread the influence of Buddhism and develop tourism in the locality. To do this, I analyze the participation of religious practitioners, including authorities, Buddhist organizations, and indigenous communities.
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