Dressed in the bright silk garments of a woman and dancing with candles between his fingers, Nguyen Duy Nam leads a temple of worshippers in a ceremony honoring mystical goddesses of forest, water and heaven.
Nam, 24, is one of a growing number of spirit mediums who perform the Hau Dong ritual of blaring noise and vibrant colors, now enjoying a resurgence after once being frowned on by the ruling Communist Party.
"It's like an illusion, like a soul has taken over my body," said Nam, who works in a garage in Hanoi, the capital, when he is not performing Hau Dong.