MANG LANG CHURCH IN PHU YEN
Mang Lang Church is about 35 kilometers north of Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen, and is one of the oldest churches in Phu Yen and Vietnam in general. The church's most notable feature is its distinctive Gothic architecture, which dates back to over 1200 years BC. Mang Lang will look quite familiar to you since it is packed with European churches that you have seen a lot on TV or in magazine comics. This architectural style is so well-known over the world that numerous Gothic-type structures have been designated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
- The History of Mang Lang Church In Phu Yen:
This church was built in 1892. Many people who come to see the church are intrigued by the building's name after enjoying the magnificent Gothic architecture. The name Mang Lang may appear weird, yet it has a very rustic and basic background. According to the elders near the church, this region had relatively few people living more than 100 years ago, but it was mostly trees, including a very beautiful purple flower of the same family as the tomb. The flower has been given the name Mang Lang. As a result, after constructing the church in the An Thach district, the congregation dubbed it the Mang Lang church.
The Mang Lang trees have vanished, but their traces may still be found in a round wooden table with a diameter of 1.7m in the church, which was created from Mang Lang wood from the beginning when the church was erected.
- The place to keep the first national language book of Vietnam:
Furthermore, this location is known for storing our country's first national language book, thus in addition to admiring the grandeur of the cathedral, you will be able to view that book. The text is known as the "Eight-Day Sermon" by priest Alexan de Rhodes, and it may be viewed in the cave on the church's man-made hill.
The two bell towers on both sides of Mang Lang church are the pinnacle of Gothic architecture. The cross, the cathedral's emblem, is in the center. Dome-shaped portals resembling bamboo shoots surround the church façade. The church's ceiling is lined with wood, rather than the traditional Gothic dome form. However, the Gothic influence in one of the city's oldest church structures can still be seen in the doorways leading to the two sides of the central nave. The exquisite decorations on the main wooden doors of Mang Lang church retain Vietnamese characteristics.
The entire church has an antique appearance with gray-blue paint that has faded off over the decades and is located in the heart of Mang Lang parish. In comparison to prominent church structures in Vietnam such as Notre Dame Cathedral (Ho Chi Minh City), Phu Nhai Church (Nam Dinh), Tra Co Church (Quang Ninh), Con Ga Church (Da Lat), etc., the size of Mang Lang church is smaller and the inside is plainer. When we got to Mang Lang church, one of the new discoveries was the church cave in the middle of an artificial hill on the left arm if entering via the main gate.
