Although most Vietnamese people are not very religious (surveys indicate that only 20% identify with a particular faith), we were struck by the shrines we saw everywhere.  Most of them are well-maintained and many have burning candles and incense sticks, which are lit and tended to. We were wary about taking photos in case this was offensive but were assured that it was not. The little reading I’ve done on the subject reveals that many Vietnamese subscribe to Tam Giao, which is a fusion of Chinese (Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist) beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animism. The state, of course, is Communist and we were granted our visitor’s visas by the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.