Christmas visit to the 120-year-old Chinese church in Cho Lon area

Francis Xavier Parish Church, but the familiar name that everyone still uses is Father Tam Church, located at 25 Hoc Lac Street (Ward 14, District 5, HCMC).

The church gate has typical Chinese architecture.

Minh Dang

In the yard behind the entrance and in front of the church is a statue of the Virgin Mary and a memorial stele to the martyrs.

Minh Dang

The church is completing final preparations for Christmas Eve December 24, 2022

Minh Dang

Cha Tam Church is also a destination for many international tourists .

Minh Dang

The interesting thing about this church, besides its long history, is that its architecture is a fusion of the West and the East; specifically, the French and the Chinese. It is the unique culture of the church that attracts many tourists.

In 1865, during the reign of Bishop Miche (Mich, 1865 - 1872), Father Philippe, a priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society of the Guangdong diocese, came to establish the first church for the Chinese in Cho Lon.

Chinese culture is highlighted through the parallel sentences in the center.

Minh Dang

Final preparations are being completed for Christmas Eve.

Minh Dang

Bustling Christmas Eve atmosphere

Minh Dang

According to historical documents, in 1898, Bishop Jean Dépierre (De, 1895 - 1899), Bishop of Saigon, sent Father Francis Xavier Tam Assou, a man who was good at Chinese, who was working as assistant priest of Saigon Cathedral and professor at Tabert School, to Cho Lon with the mission of reviving the religious life of the Chinese. During that time, Father Tam bought a very beautiful piece of land, about 3 acres wide, right in the center of Cho Lon and on it he began to build a new church, which is the cathedral we have today. The ceremony to lay the first stone was on the feast day of Saint Francis Xavier, December 3, 1900. In 1934, Father Tam passed away. Thus, if counted from the date of commencement, this church is more than 120 years old.

The church has services in Chinese for the people of Cho Lon area.

Minh Dang

Brief history of Cho Lon parish

Minh Dang

Father Francis Xavier Tam Assou (Father Tam), who knew many Chinese languages, started the construction of the church.

Minh Dang

Father Tam's portrait and biography are placed on the left side of the main door from the outside in.

Minh Dang

Another interesting point is that every day the church has 2 masses, one for the Vietnamese and one for the Chinese. On Sundays alone there are 7 masses, 4 for the Vietnamese and 3 for the Chinese, but there are still many masses where the number of attendees is double the number of seats in the church.

Church services in both Vietnamese and Chinese

Minh Dang

Behind the statue of the Virgin Mary is a relief in gratitude to the martyrs.

Minh Dang

In the atmosphere of Christmas Eve, after visiting Cha Tam Church, the typical Chinese dish that tourists should not miss is the island hotpot. The flickering charcoal fire seems to warm up the relationships between family and friends in the cold evening.

Comment (0)