Nha Trang Stone Church is an ancient religious work with an important historical culture, attracting a large number of visitors. And, it is one of the indispensable destinations in Nha Trang’s travel itinerary.
Nha Trang Stone Church is the pride of Catholics in Nha Trang city. Let’s explore this place together with us.
Location of Stone Church
The stone church, in Vietnamese: Nhà Thờ Đá, was built with a total area of more than 700m2 and a hallmark of Western architectural style in the heart of the city.
Nha Trang Stone Church is one of the famous architectural works located in the centre of the city, near the intersection of Nguyen Trai Street and Thai Nguyen Street.
- Address: 31 Thai Nguyen, Phuoc Tan Ward, Nha Trang city
- Ceremony of Nha Trang Stone Church (ceremony in about 1 hour):
- Weekdays: 4:45am and 5:00pm
- Sunday: 5:00am; 7:00 am, 9:30am; 3:00pm, 4:30pm; and 6:30pm.
History of Nha Trang Stone Church
In the 80s of the nineteenth century, Catholics in Nha Trang at that time had only a few hundred people.
In the 1880s, the French set up the office of the colonial government in Nha Trang. They proceeded to build a temporary chapel on the coast of Nha Trang to meet the needs of religious activities for Catholics and French officials.
Currently, this place has become the area of Nha Trang Bishop House. The important person, who was credited with building this church, was the French parishioner Louis Vallet.
The church was officially started construction on September 3, 1928, on a small pristine cliff with an altitude of about 12 meters.
The French came to Nha Trang to split Hon Mot mountain in half and flatten this land with 500 mines to have an area of 4,500 square meters to build a church.
On May 14, 1933, the church was inaugurated. In 1934, a female faithful person in Saigon presented a bell to the Apostolic Nuncio Dreyer and was named Thérèse of the Child Jesus. But until December 3, 1935, the new bell tower was inaugurated.
On October 24, 1945, Father Louis Vallet died. His body was buried at the foot of a mountain on the right side of the path to the church. In 1987, the cliff along the main road to the church became the place where the ashes of the dead were moved from the parish cemetery by the decision of the State.
Guide to visit the Stone Church
If Saigon has Notre Dame Cathedral bearing the imprint of French architecture, Nha Trang has the Stone Church. The Church is a Catholic church officially known as the Cathedral of Christ the King.
However, when visitors come here to visit, they call the church with very close and simple names, such as Stone Church, Mountain Church, or Nha Trang Church.
From the small cubes of stone under the talented hand of the builder, they are linked together into a church rising from low to the blue sky.
Perhaps standing from a distance, you can see a glimpse of the Stone Church, but a clear one is the Cross on the top of the bell tower, 38m high from the road surface.
The entrance to the church
To reach the church, you will have to walk 53 steps from Thai Nguyen Street, through the gate to reach the Duc Me Lo Duc Stone Cave.
Besides, you can choose the paved path from the square next to the intersection Nga Sau around the back to reach the church courtyard.
If you pay attention, you will see it on your right side. along the aisle, there are small holes containing the remains of the deceased joined into the stone wall.
Stone Church has a unique, luxurious architecture with a Western-style. This place is like an ancient, solid castle. The church is still steady, facing a lot of sunshine over the years, rising horizontally in the middle of an immense sky.
The Cathedral
The most impressive thing in Stone Church is that the gothic-style cathedral built by the hands of talented craftsmen. The space inside the church will startle you by being overwhelmed by the large space but equally cozy and peaceful.
Just step through the Tien Dan door, appearing in front of visitors will be a straight path leading to Jesus with 2 straight rows of chairs, neatly arranged on the two sides.
A large light-filled cathedral is combined with curved arches pointing straight up into the sky. Decorative patterns use straight lines, arranged in harmony, creating a simple and solemn beauty. On the walls are simulated by paintings of the life of the passion of God.
Not dark, in the main hall of the church, the led lights are always shimmering. Every morning when sunlight comes through colourful glass panels, the church shines brightly as if it is lit with coloured lights.
It is the solemnity of this site that gives visitors a sense of peace and relaxation in the soul. The sanctuary is an open space, the stained-glass Saint paintings here create a brilliant and luxurious beauty.
Belltower
Stone Church is bold in Gothic church architecture with 3 distinct sections on the front including the two bell towers. The middle section is the wide arches, the rose-shaped windows that stand out as a highlight of the church; the middle floor is also the place where the Catholic rites of the faithful take place. And the last one is the door.
The impressive feature of the church is that the two bronze bells hanging on the bell tower. The bells were manufactured and supplied directly from the famous French bell company Bourdon Carillond. On the bell tower, there are large clocks on the four faces facing various directions.
Campus outside the church
The spacious green-covered campus outside the church is dotted with blooming flowers of four seasons, giving off all the stress and fatigue in the busy life as well as holding the visitors’ feet with the church.
In the morning or afternoon, each day, a lot of people can also participate in lectures to relax the soul, pray for the best in life. Plenty of the locals there are mainly Christian, they believe in God, in Our Lady, who always protects and helps them.
The Stone Church in Nha Trang has become a famous tourist destination with a great value of culture and history.
If you have a chance to travel to this beach city, besides visiting Ponagar Temple, Dam Market, and islands, please range your time to stop at this church to relax and take beautiful pictures for your journey.