Mang Lang Church

Mang Lang was built between 1892 and 1907 by a French priest in a gothic manner with two square towers, and it is among the oldest churches in central Vietnam. What it holds is the reason to come: a copy of the Catechismus of Alexandre de Rhodes, printed in Rome in 1651, which is the first book printed in quoc ngu - the romanised Vietnamese script that replaced Chinese characters and is the writing everyone in Vietnam uses today. It is displayed in a small museum built into an artificial cave in the churchyard, together with material on Andrew of Phu Yen, martyred in 1644.

Background

The church lies about 35 km north of Tuy Hòa, close to the Kỳ Lộ River, and its grounds cover over 5,000 square meters. Its first parish priest, Father Joseph de La Cassagne, whom locals called Cố Xuân, directed the building in 1892. The grey-green front has two bell towers on either side of a central cross. Christian roots here go back to the 17th century: Princess Ngọc Liên, baptised as Maria Mađalêna in 1636, set up a chapel in the area. Alexandre de Rhodes wrote his catechism, Phép giảng tám ngày, at this spot. Andrew of Phú Yên came from the village, and in 2000 he was declared patron saint of Vietnamese Catholic youth.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mằng Lăng Church"

Highlights

• A gothic church of 1892 - among the oldest in central Vietnam.
• The Catechismus of 1651 - the first book printed in the Vietnamese alphabet.
• A museum in an artificial cave - in the churchyard.
• Andrew of Phu Yen - the local martyr of 1644.

When to go

Year round. An hour.

Before you go

The book is displayed in a small and modest museum. The church is a working parish and services take precedence. Interpretation is largely in Vietnamese. It is a short stop off national road 1.

Nearby

Ganh Da Dia is north along the coast; O Loan lagoon is close.

Key facts