Hanh Thong Tay Church

A rare Byzantine church in Go Vap with a hemispherical dome, mosaics and an Italian marble altar

On Quang Trung Street, Hanh Thong Tay Church impresses with its Byzantine architecture, rarely seen in the City: a tall hemispherical dome topped by a small lantern tower for ventilation and light, modelled on the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. The church was built from 1921 and inaugurated in 1924, entirely funded by Mr Le Phat An and his wife, Mrs Tran Thi Tho. In 2017, the building was added to the City's inventory of historical and cultural relics. The church is 40 m long, 14 m wide and 16 m high, with a 20 m-high dome. The bell tower was originally 30 m high but was lowered to 19.5 m in 1952 for aviation safety reasons; inside hang three bells cast in France in 1925. The roof is covered with red tiles, and the facade features simple raised mouldings and motifs. The interior is elaborately decorated: the vaulted ceiling has square reliefs carved with floral patterns, there are two rows of columns in relief, and gilded reliefs sit between the stained-glass windows. The sanctuary has an altar of Italian marble, its walls and ceiling covered in mosaics, and the sanctuary vault bears a painting of Jesus. On either side of the church are the tombs of Mr and Mrs Le Phat An, also of Italian marble and intricately carved. At Christmas, the church is ablaze with decorative lights, a nativity grotto and Christmas trees. The church is part of the programme "Around Go Vap: Ancient and Fascinating Sights", together with Phu Chau Floating Shrine and Thong Tay Hoi Communal House. Masses are held Monday to Saturday at 4:45 and 17:30; on Sundays at 5:00, 7:30, 9:30, 16:00, 17:30 and 19:00.

English text: machine translation from the Localis platform — proper names kept in Vietnamese.