Vietnam: Gateway to the old Ba Mu Temple (Chùa Bà Mụ) or the Midwives Temple, near Hoi An (c. 1930)

The mười hai bà mụ, or 'Twelve Midwives', are creatures from Vietnamese mythology and folk religion. They are twelve fairies who teach babies various prosperous traits and skills such as sucking and smiling. In some parts of Vietnam when a baby is one month old a special ritual is performed for the 'Twelve Midwives.'

The small but historic town of Hoi An is located on the Thu Bon River 30km (18 miles) south of Danang. During the time of the Nguyen Lords (1558 - 1777) and even under the first Nguyen Emperors, Hoi An - then known as Faifo - was an important port, visited regularly by shipping from Europe and all over the East.

By the late 19th Century the silting up of the Thu Bon River and the development of nearby Danang had combined to make Hoi An into a backwater. This obscurity saved the town from serious fighting during the wars with France and the USA, so that at the time of reunification in 1975 it was a forgotten and impoverished fishing port lost in a time warp.

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