The Spirit's in the House.

Unlike north Vietnam and like Thailand, nearly very home in central Vietnam
has a spirit house nearby.

Built to placate roaming spirits and keep them from entering
the main house, these tiny dwellings feature many different
offerings. The frequency of spirit houses apparently varies
with the religiousness of the population. In Hue, every house
had a spirit house, many very large and elaborate, while fewer than
half the houses in the Da Nang area had one. In Hoi An,
probably two-thirds of the houses were so equipped. In Hanoi,
by contrast, we never saw a spirit house, though every home
and business has a shrine to honor the family's ancestors.

P.