Cho Quan Church

Cho Quan Church is one of the oldest churches in Vietnam. It’s been there for more than 200 years, with its history dating back to the 1700’s, when a large number of Catholics migrated to Ho Chi Minh City. They took refuge in and around the Cho Quan area. In 1720 they built a very simple and plain church building. During the Vietnam War, the church was destroyed twice. The current building is the outcome of the third construction, which was done on 11th December 1896 by Father Ham.

The architecture of Cho Quan Church is strikingly different from that of typical churches. The door and window panes are beautifully shaped into crescents, with the windows showing an intricate stone cut design instead of typical stained glasses. The church somewhat resembles French architecture. The hall is appropriately lined with long and short benches to accommodate 1500 people. The divine altar of Jesus Christ is vibrantly decorated with delicate carvings and patterns. The church has a huge garden in front of it which has a number of fragrant flowers and melodious birds. Visitors can spend a nice and relaxing time in this garden. The garden is lined with palm trees and also consists of the cave of Maria. Mother Mary’s altar is located in this small cave-like structure where visitors and locals can come and pray. The park is also used as a joggers and cyclers park by the locals. The church comprises of five bells which are attached to the top of the church. Each bell is meant to be rung on specific occasions. Either than special occasions or holidays the five bells are not rung together. These bells are said to be imported from France.

Cho Quan Church is located in the Cho Quan area, i.e. the Tran Binh Trong street, which is in district 5 of Ho Chi Minh city, near Chinatown. The church is a little far away from the city centre, but you can easily opt for a taxi to drop by. Also, bus number 1 from Ben Thanh Market runs regularly to the College of Foreign Trade bus station, a 5-minute walk from the church.