The oldest church in Ho Chi Minh City

According to Urban Architecture and Landscape of Saigon Cho Lon Past and Present , at the end of the 17th century, there was a small chapel of Cho Quan parish. In 1723, a Jesuit priest (Society of Jesus) came to preach and converted the chapel into a church. In 1882, the church was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1896 with a capacity of about 1,500 people. The church campus has a total area of ​​about 1.6 hectares, planted with many trees.

Inside Cho Quan church - sketch by architect Bui Hoang Bao

Similar to Notre Dame Cathedral, Cho Quan Church was built in a Romanesque-Gothic style. The Romanesque features are shown in the thick walls, the facade has long, narrow semicircular arched windows. The ground plan is oriented west-east (*), with an oval apse. The Gothic features are shown in the wave-shaped dome and stained glass windows. The entrance arches are stepped and gradually smaller, creating a perspective effect, "emphasizing" the entrance more.

Sketch by artist Tran Binh Minh

The space inside the cathedral is high, with many statues of various sizes. Near the sanctuary is the tomb of Father Nicolas Hamm, the builder of Cho Quan Church.

Sketch by Architect Linh Hoang

Sketch by Architect Phung The Huy

The resting place of the church builder, Father Nicolas Hamn, right in the basilica's foundation - sketch by architect Linh Hoang

The church has a three-story bell tower with five bells cast in France. Two are rung on weekdays, two on holidays, and one to announce death. On special occasions, all five bells are rung at the same time. It is said that it took five elephants to pull the bells up the tower.

The cathedral can accommodate about 1,500 people - sketch by architect Linh Hoang

Sketch by artist Tran Binh Minh

Sketch by Architect Bui Hoang Bao

Sketch by artist Nguyen Duc Toan

(*): The entrance is on the west side, the sanctuary is on the east side. This layout is so that when worshiping, believers will always face the holy land of Jerusalem (to the east of Europe).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-tho-xua-nhat-tphcm-185250329203502696.htm