THE WOODEN CHURCH KON TUM
The Wooden Church Kontum. On a tourist journey to the Central Highlands provinces, there is one address that cannot be missed. It's Kon Tum Cathedral, a 100-year-old wooden cathedral that deserves to be regarded as one of the finest examples of timber Catholic architecture in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
The Wooden Church Kontum Information:
Address: Nguyen Hue Street, Thong Nhat Ward, Kon Tum Province.
Following in the footsteps of Western missionaries, Catholicism first appeared in the Central Highlands, especially Kon Tum, in the mid-nineteenth century. Initially, the majority of the worshiping sites in this area were small-scale, constructed of wood, thatch, bamboo, and leaves. Only later, as the number of parishioners expanded, did people consider erecting larger buildings, such as the Kon Tum wooden church.
According to historical records, priest Joseph Décrouille, who was in charge of Kon Tum parish, ordered the church's construction to begin in mid-March 1913 and be finished in early 1918. Many obstacles, including the outbreak of World War I, stood in their way. But even before that, it took them three years to prepare, beginning with recruiting good people to go into the forest and cut wood, followed by elephants to take the timber out. They also traveled to Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh in search of skilled artisans to help build the church.
In general, the church's design combines Roman architecture with the local Ba Na stilt home style. This is regarded as the best mix of Western culture with Central Highlands regional identity.
It is dubbed a wooden church because the main material used to build it is wood, which is abundant in the Central Highlands. All structures, from columns to trusses to flooring, are built of wood and cemented together using tenons rather than nails. The ceilings and walls are coated with clay materials mixed with straw, similar to the traditional dwellings of Central Vietnam. No reinforced concrete or mortar is used.
In a letter written to the Paris Foreign Missions Society in 1913, immediately at the start of the church's construction, the Apostolic Vicar of Eastern Cochin Grangeon noted, "It is not feasible to build with stones or bricks. Only high-quality wood can accomplish the task, and the architect claims that this church in Ba Na resembles a cathedral.
From the exterior, the church appears to be a towering and imposing structure with dark wood and tile that has aged well. A 24-meter-high bell tower is located in the center of the church's façade. This generates harmony and balance throughout the building. The two-winged hallway is wide and long, with high and sloping roofs similar to the Ba Na's common roofs and supported by round wooden columns.
The inside of the church appears to be another universe. The structure's long, soaring, airy, and light-filled arch astounds visitors with its magnificent grandeur and splendor.
The 12m-high columns, which stand securely on a stone base, support the whole central dome and the double-winged corridor ceiling. This not only adds to the building's majesty but also gives a sense of wide space in all directions. The arched wooden truss system and little rows of columns above are very finely integrated, perfectly beautiful, and soft, adding to the cathedral's outstanding top half. The vitraux-style stained-glass windows with depictions of biblical stories shimmer on either side of the wings, illuminated by natural light.
When the faithful gaze up from their seats, the sanctuary appears as a magnificent dome-shaped floating stage, evoking a dignified and grandiose sense of a holy place.
Every feature of the church's design, carving, decorating, and color palette is elegant. There's an exceedingly intriguing detail that demonstrates how skilled the painters of the time were. They installed a massive circular stained-glass painting in the cathedral's center, directly across from the main entry and opposite the sanctuary.
It was intended to receive sunlight and serve as a representation of the sun streaming directly in. Looking from the outside, it's impossible to fathom what the previous artisans created on that glass image. However, from within, the image is dazzling and beautiful, depicting the vibrant life of the ancient Central Highlands, with sights of communities, community dwellings, elephants dragging wood, and rivers and streams.
Kon Tum Wooden Church, with its distinctive 700m2 construction, is a comprehensive complex that includes the church, a hotel, an exhibition room for ethnic handicrafts and religion, and community housing. There are other spaces for orphans, textile and woodworking facilities, as well as church grounds.
Bishop Jeanningros, who opened Kon Tum church in 1918, wrote in a letter to the Paris Foreign Mission Society about its beauty: "This is a spacious and precious building, built with excellent wood... replacing the old bamboo church that burned down 7 years ago."
After more than a century, the Kon Tum wooden church continues to defy the passage of time and appears to become increasingly attractive as a result of its old and uncommon magnificence. Today, when visitors visit Kon Tum church, they not only learn about the history of the cathedral of Kon Tum Diocese, one of 27 Roman Catholic dioceses in Vietnam and the oldest diocese in the Central Highlands, but they also admire one of the wooden masterpieces of Catholic architecture in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
The best time to visit The Wooden Church Kon Tum:
You can visit the Kon Tum Wooden Church at any time. If you visit during the blossoming season, the route will be decked with pink and white blooming flowers, which will add to Kon Tum's beauty.
If you go at Christmas, you'll see thousands of different believers congregating at the church, with some remaining for a week in the empty area to the right, engrossed in the holiday celebrations.
On an ordinary day, the church has a peaceful environment. During ceremonies, the side pews serve as prayer places, but on routine days, they are used as study areas for pupils.
The somber wooden church is an iconic emblem of Kon Tum province, a source of pride not just for the local Catholic population, but also a must-see tourist destination.
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