How come there are swastikas in Viet Nam?

Question

I'm vacationing in Viet Nam right now and I keep seeing what looks like swastikas in some places. Maybe it has a different meaning here and I was wondering what it is.

Answer 1

The swastika was used long before the n**i's adopted it as their symbol. I'm sure that what you are seeing doesn't convey the same meaning.

Answer 2

It has absolutely has nothing to do with n***s. The symbol was long used before Hitler as a Buddhist religious symbol.

Answer 3

Swastikas go back over 3000 years.

Read this...its fascinating.

http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastik...

By the way, thanks for an interesting question. I learned something today.

Answer 4

the swastika is a religious symbol in buddhism.  it's also a religious symbol in other religions such as hinduism.  in buddhism, the swastika represents universal harmony and the balance of opposites.  viet nam is largely a buddhist country so, that's probably why you keep seeing it.

Answer 5

Interestingly, the association of the swastika to Naziism is a modern meaning.  In the East, it is nothing like what it was in Germany.

The swastika is a religious symbol that is Sanskrit/Indian in origin.  It is a religious symbol.  It is a decorative Hindu form.  It means lucky or auspicious object....in other words it can be interpreted as good luck.  

It is common in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and other Eastern religions.  It means nothing like what the n***s use it for.

Answer 6

a swastika is originally a religious symbol

Answer 7

I recall hearing somewhere (probably Antiques Roadshow or something) that it's actually a symbol for luck.  Whether that's true or not is kind of up in the air, but I do know that it wasn't *originally* a n**i thing.

Answer 8

Probably most of the "some places" you are seeing are temples and pagodas. As the other poster says, it has nothing to do with n***s.

You could always ask someone what it means! Just ask what the symbol is for, don't name it or give any indication of its meaning to you - ask.