We're having fun with our guides and especially like it if they show some insight into Vietnamese culture and thinking. "Pagoda Money" is an example.
Vietnam is packed with temples/pagodas. Locals go to these to worship, pray and make offerings, lots of them. The offerings include cash, to make luck happen (or even have a bad neighbor get sick, or worse.)
Vietnam is also a communist country with one party and party/government officials in all key positions. There's a lot of corruption, with bribes going to officials to avoid fines, get into a better school, buy a house and more.
These bribes are referred to as Pagoda Money :-)
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