Beautiful churches in the Central Highland city of Da Lat

Beautiful churches in the Central Highland city of Da Lat

Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is not just a pretty respite from Vietnam’s sweltering lowlands, it also has beautiful pagodas and churches. Here’s a brief rundown of two of the most visited Catholic churches.

Nha Tho Chanh Toa Da Lat

Reaching the top of Prenn Pass, the gate to downtown Da Lat, visitors can see the high bell tower of Nha Tho Chanh Toa Da Lat (the main church in Da Lat) in the distance.

However, the church on Tran Phu Street near the city’s post office is better known under the name of Nha Tho Con Ga (Rooster Church), because on the top of its bell tower sits the statue of a rooster.

Historical documents show that the church started out as a small chapel built by the French in 1920 and named Hic Domus Est Dei. Two years later it was rebuilt into a 26-metre-long, eight-metre-wide cathedral with a 16-metre-tall bell tower.

From July 1931 to January 1942 the church was enlarged again to turn it into the largest cathedral in Da Lat. Currently, it is 65 metres long and 14 metres wide and boasts a 47-metre-tall bell tower.

The bronze rooster statue on the top of the tower is 66 centimetres long and 58 centimetres tall. The rooster replaces the customary displays the cardinal points and is a favourite animal of the French.

The cathedral’s architecture also recalls the French influence and mimics European Catholic churches in the Middle Ages. It has 70 French-made stained glass windows which colour the sunlight falling through them.

The main door of the church, itself located on a hill, looks toward Langbian, the highest mountain in Da Lat.

Nha Tho Chanh Toa attracts not only churchgoers but also local and foreign tourists. Daily services start at 5:15am and 5:15pm on weekdays. On Sundays, the services are held at 5:15am, 7am, 8:30am, 4pm and 6pm.

Domaine de Marie

Built in 1938 and located on a high hill some eight kilometres northwest of downtown Dalat, Domaine de Marie is a Catholic monastery for nuns.

The church bears the European architectural style of the 17th century. Its noteworthy feature is that it was built mainly with limestone and molasses.

Unlike many other churches, Domaine de Marie has no bell tower and its façade has triangular shapes decorated with small arches.

Beautiful designs line the main hall inside the church and the most salient point is a three-meter statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a one-ton globe.

Suzanne Humbert, wife of the then French governor in Indochina Jean Decoux, donated the statue. The nuns say Humbert used to visit Domaine de Marie and contributed to upgrading the church.

Unfortunately, in 1944 she died in a car accident on Prenn Pass while she was on her way to Da Lat to reconcile Queen Nam Phuong with Mong Diep, a concubine of Vietnam’s last monarch Bao Dai. Humbert was buried behind Domaine de Marie, according to direction in her will.

In spring Domaine de Marie seems to be even more beautiful as cherry blossoms planted around the church and along the road leading to it embellish the area with vivid colourful displays.

The hill, where the church is located, offers visitors a panoramic view of Da Lat.

Daily services at the church start at 5:15pm on weekdays and at 6am and 4:15pm on Sundays.