The Irresistible Beauty of Stone Church in Nha Trang

The Stone Church, also known as the Mountain Church, boasts an irresistible beauty and is located on a small hill in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province.

Nha Trang Stone Church (officially known as Christ the King Cathedral) is a Catholic church in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province. Construction of this church began under the technical consultation of architect Nesty on September 3, 1928. In May 1933, the church was consecrated and inaugurated. With an area of 720m2 situated at a height of 12m in the city center, Nha Trang Stone Church is a popular destination that attracts many tourists, filmmakers, and photographers both domestically and internationally.

In ancient times, this was a wild area. When the French arrived in Nha Trang, they decided to split Hon Mot mountain in half. The western half of this mountain was leveled by 500 mines to create a 4,500m2 area for the church. In December 1941, the construction was completed, and thus, the name "Mountain Church" came into being.

Located at 1 Thai Nguyen Street, the Mountain Church (36m long, 20m wide) was built in the Gothic architectural style. Along the path leading up to the church, on the rock wall, there are small niches containing the ashes of the deceased, re-interred from the parish cemetery. The highest point is the cross at the top of the bell tower (38m high from the road level). The church has two bronze bells made by the famous French bell foundry, Bourdon Carillon. The four sides of the bell tower are fitted with large clocks, allowing people in the surrounding area to tell time from a distance.

The sanctuary is spacious and airy. On the walls are vivid paintings depicting the Passion of Christ. The sophisticated coordination of blue and red stained-glass windows and natural light enhances the solemnity and splendor of the sanctuary. Stained-glass windows are one of the hallmarks of Gothic architecture.

Looking from afar, many people mistakenly believe this massive architectural work was built with split stone, but in reality, split stone was only used for paving roads and courtyards. The entire walls of the church were built with cement blocks. Father Louis Vallet and his associates directly molded these blocks. Notably, only the flat roof of the corridor running along both sides was cast with reinforced concrete, while the entire vaulted roof of the chapel used bamboo slats and chicken wire.

This is a unique Gothic-style architectural masterpiece that visitors should not miss when coming to the tourist city of Nha Trang.