Explore Bao Nham scenic spot

(Baonghean) - The Bao Nham stone church and rock cliff in Bao Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) is an architectural work serving the religious needs of the parishioners of Bao Nham and is also an attractive destination for tourists who love to explore.

Panoramic view of Bao Nham stone church.

According to the remaining documents, around the early 80s of the 19th century, a French priest named Adolphe Klinglé - also known as Co Thong - came here to preach, he chose this "prime" location to build a church. He believed that this area had the same location as in France - where there was a church where he was a priest. The church began construction in the fall of 1888. After 16 years of construction, in the spring of 1904, Bao Nham stone church was officially completed.

Bao Nham Church is located on a land area of ​​7,750m2. This is one of the largest stone churches in Indochina at that time and has the best acoustics compared to other churches in Vietnam.

The church was built in the Gothic style, modeled after the Luxembourg Cathedral (France). The stones were carefully joined together by the masons.

In front of Bao Nham stone church.

Father Mactino Nguyen Xuan Hoang - parish priest of Bao Nham district said: The materials to build the church were quarried from Lam Son mountain stone (Thanh Hoa), carefully cut and chiseled, each stone was 0.8m long, 0.4m wide and transported by river to be built here. The construction workers were selected from all over Indochina.

The church is 37m high, 14m wide, with a 28m high bell tower, on top of which is a rooster made of Antimony alloy, 0.8m long, 0.35m wide, which can rotate in the wind. On the tower are 3 bells cast in bronze, the heaviest bell weighs 800kg, the second bell weighs 400kg and the third bell is 180kg. All 3 bells were brought from France by the sister of priest Andon phon Kơlinh to the church as a gift. In addition, around the church there are 24 small stone towers, each 2.5m high. In front of the church, on the two pillars of the church gate, there are 2 elaborately carved stone lions.

A corner of Bao Nham stone church.

Bao Nham Church and Rock is not only a place of worship and cultural activities for parishioners in the area, but also a cultural work with high architectural and artistic value.

About 200m from the church is the rocky cliff area, a beautiful scenic spot associated with ancient stories in the religious beliefs of the people.

The total area of ​​the cliff is 5678m2, the height from the ground to the top of the cliff is 40m. Taking advantage of the beauty of the cliff, the locals and the priests who came here to manage it built a stone staircase to the top and opened a path down behind the foot of the cliff. On both sides of the path are large statues depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross, forming a sightseeing and pilgrimage route for visitors.

The path up has 171 S-shaped curved steps, resembling the head and body of a baby dragon clinging to the cliff, designed and built by Father Peter Nguyen Van Hanh from 1947 to 1950. The path down behind resembles a dragon's tail, consisting of 137 steps, designed and built by Father Peter Nguyen Van Duyet in 2000.

Priest Mactino Nguyen Xuan Hoang - parish priest of Bao Nham district said: the Stone Church and Bao Nham rock cliff are being built into an attractive tourist destination.

Stepping up the 91st step, visitors will see the first Way of the Cross, where there is a semi-open-air cave with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and an altar for offering Mass. The cave is naturally formed in a dome shape with concave and convex patterns and rich colors, further enhancing the attractiveness, sacredness and mystery of the Sanctuary. The cave entrance is 6m high, 5.4m wide, and the depth from the cave entrance to the foot of the altar is 14m. Next to the semi-open-air cave is a small cave with a statue of Divine Mercy, about 8m2 in area.

Down 69 steps is the Holy Garden with a lake and lush green trees, where visitors can sit in the shade to contemplate and immerse themselves in nature.

From the top of the cliff, visitors can look out in four directions, witnessing with their own eyes the rich beauty of the villages of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Nam Dan districts with beautiful, bright red-tiled houses surrounded by vast fields. And in the distance, there is a river carrying heavy alluvium to enrich the fields, bringing bumper crops and a prosperous life to the people here.

Bao Nham rock

Down 69 steps is the Holy Garden with a lake and lush green trees, where visitors can sit in the shade to contemplate and immerse themselves in nature.

From the top of the cliff, visitors can look out in four directions, witnessing with their own eyes the rich beauty of the villages of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Nam Dan districts with beautiful, bright red-tiled houses surrounded by vast fields. And in the distance, there is a river carrying heavy alluvium to enrich the fields, bringing bumper crops and a prosperous life to the people here.

From here, visitors can also go to Dien Thanh beach with clear water and fine sand, visit Cuong - Cua Hien temple (Dien Chau), swim at Bai Lu (Nghi Loc), Cua Lo beach...

Bao Nham Church and Rock is a potential tourist destination of Nghe An in general, Yen Thanh district in particular. Coming here, visitors are attracted by the poetic and quiet natural landscape. Around the church are lush green gardens, immersed in the quiet, with the chirping of birds and fresh air. Over the past time, every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists and people from all over the country have come here to visit, study and admire.

PV