Location: Sa Pa Town, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province.
Characteristics: This is an ancient architectural work according to French style.
(TITC) – Sa Pa Stone Church is located in the centre of Sa Pa Town and considered as the most intact ancient French architectural work in Sa Pa. The stone church along with two French architectural works, including Chu Cau Villa (Hoang Lien Hotel now) and the District Commissioner area (headquarters of Sa Pa Tourism Information Centre now) create a harmonious architectural triangle. Sa Pa Stone Church has become a must-see destination in Sa Pa Town.
◊ Architecture
Situated in the area of 6,000m², cross-shaped Sa Pa Stone Church is built in 1895 according to Roman Gothic architecture. The stones of the church are connected by a mixture of sand, lime and molasses. The colored glass windows depict the life of Jesus.
The campus of the church includes many areas, such as the church area, the parish house, the angel house, the holy garden and some other auxiliary areas. Of which, 500m² church consists of 7 compartments with the 20m-high bell tower. In the tower, there is a bell cast in 1932 with the height of 1.5m and the weight of 500kg. The five-compartment parish house is in parallel to the church. The angel house includes a basement and three storeys. The holy garden has 5 hundred-year-old machilus bonii lecomte trees, four of which grow on rocks.
◊ Cultural Activities
In the front of Sa Pa Stone Church is the spacious courtyard where local ethnic people gather to exchange, trade goods and attracts many visitors. Every Saturday, Love Market where ethnic people date and express their feeling takes place here. At Christmas, most parishioners gather in the church to celebrate, pray, and sing. The space of the church becomes sparklingly, fancifully, and attractively.
After some renovations, now Sa Pa Stone Church keeps intact the charm and uniqueness, attracting the attention of a lot of visitors.
