Mang Lang Church

In the middle of the peaceful land of Dak Lak, where green fields stretch and gentle rivers meander, Mang Lang Church stands out as a special historical and cultural mark of Central Vietnam. Not only does it impress with its ancient Gothic architecture and characteristic gray color scheme, but this more than a century-old building also preserves many precious religious, historical, and cultural values. Through many changes over time, Mang Lang Church still retains its solemn beauty, making it a destination that attracts many tourists, Catholics, and those who love exploring ancient architecture.

Overview Mang Lang Church

Leaving Tuy Hoa center, about 35 km away, the car turns toward Mang Lang Village in Tuy An Dong Commune, where Mang Lang church is located. This is a Catholic church belonging to Mang Lang Parish, the birthplace of Blessed Andrew Phu Yen – one of the patron martyrs of Catholic youth. The church is now also a place of pilgrimage on the occasion of Blessed Andrew Phu Yen’s anniversary and the Mass to pray for Vietnamese Catholic youth.

The current structure was built in 1892 under the direction of French missionary Father Joseph de La Cassagne (known locally as Cố Xuân), the first parish priest. He was the first Parish Priest of this parish. The construction project will last up to 15 years. With more than 120 years of history, Mang Lang Church is considered the oldest church in Dak Lak Province and also one of the oldest in Vietnam. Located on the banks of the Ky Lo River (locally called the Cai River), Mang Lang, standing tall like a hundred-year-old man, has weathered the passage of time and remains a witness to history in this peaceful and beautiful land of the Central Coast.

Curious about the strange name Mang Lang (Vietnamese: Mằng Lăng), which has existed for over 100 years, the An Thach area was very sparsely populated, covered with forest trees, including a type of tree that grew in abundance, had a wide canopy, oval leaves, and purple-pink blooming flowers called Mang Lang. Currently, traces of that mangrove forest no longer exist, but the church at that time was named after this precious tree.

Unique architecture of the Mang Lang Church

Mang Lang Church has a more modest scale than many other churches in the country. However, this place looks so ancient with discolored paint and moss all over the walls that, looking at it, people seem to see the steps of time.

The church was built on a campus of more than 5,000 square meters with many trees. All are painted a simple gray-green, blending into the landscape of fields and gardens. It is known that the Cathedral was built in the Gothic style, which flourished in Europe during the 19th century. It first appeared around 1,200 BC, and the Gothic style has evoked a bit of nostalgia for earlier art, yet it is still imbued with a modern spirit.

That style left its mark on large churches and cathedrals and became the most popular in Europe in the 18th – 19th centuries, with architectural imprints on many major projects, especially town halls, churches, and schools. Many buildings in the world built in this architectural style are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

In Gothic architecture, the peak of Mang Lang Church features two bell towers on either side. In the middle is the cross – the symbol of the cathedral. Covering the church’s facade are dome-shaped entrances resembling bamboo shoots. The church ceiling is lined with wooden laths – there is no longer the typical dome style of Gothic architecture.

At Mang Lang, the Gothic mark appears in the openings leading to both sides of the cathedral’s main space, and in the bamboo-shaped windows around the top of the wall surrounding the church… Not only does Mang Lang church have Gothic architecture of European origin, but it also retains Vietnamese features. Those are the intricately carved motifs, exuding a very rustic Vietnamese quality on the wooden main doors.

A place to preserve the national record for the oldest Quốc Ngữ book 

Not only is Mang Lang Church impressive for its ancient architecture, but it is also home to Vietnam’s first national language book (Quốc Ngữ). In front of the yard, there is also a small tunnel, built quite elaborately in the heart of a fake hill. Inside is the first book printed in Vietnamese. This is the catechism book The Eight-Day Preaching by Father Alexandre de Rhodes (local people call him Father Dac Lo) – the man who claimed to have given birth to the national language in Vietnam.

Following the path in the cave, we came to the place where the book was kept in a wooden cabinet near the wall. The book is kept in a special, solemn way in a glass box; it was printed in 1651 in Rome (Italy). The book was printed in Rome in 1651 and authorized for publication and distribution by the Vatican. This is the first national language book with 319 pages, each page printed in 2 columns. Father Alexandre de Rhodes (1591- 1660, French) was a Jesuit missionary. He is also a linguist. Thanks to the spread of Christianity in Vietnam, he helped shape the modern Vietnamese national language by systematizing Vietnamese pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. These same lines of writing were widely popularized and greatly improved until today, they have become the official national language of the Vietnamese people.

Inside the vault, there are also many carved sculptures depicting Saint Andrew Phu Yen (born in 1625 – died in 1644) at age 19. Andrew Phu Yen was a missionary and martyr. He is one of 117 martyrs worldwide who have been canonized as saints.

Visiting the church, visitors can also visit Mang Lang Orphanage, where orphaned little angels are raised and cared for. And also at the church, many photos of Mang Lang Church from the 90s to the present, and valuable artifacts to the parish are preserved.