The southern central province of Phu Yen is well-known for its undulating coastline and majestic seascapes.
Those who decide to visit the province should devote a day to exploringTuy An district, about 35km away to Tuy Hoa City – the provincialcapital.
A visit to the district allows you to explorethe richness of the local culture while also getting some interestinginsights into Vietnam's history as well.
Mang Lang Churchis a famed destination for Catholic pilgrims rather than a touristattraction but, its location, on the way to the nearby Da Dia Cliffs,makes it easy to visit.
The church was built in An Thachcommune, Tuy An district in 1892 by French priest Joseph de La Cassagne.It gets its name from the surrounding mang lang trees, which have ovalleaves and purple and pink blossoms. There is still an old table madefrom mang lang wood in the church, a fixture that has been here sincethe church opened. The Gothic style church, which is the oldest churchin the province, is situated on grounds that cover 5,000sq.m. A cross ispositioned in the middle of two steeples. The building, originallypainted white, has turned a dark grey with the passage of time.
Catholic visitors may be interesting in checking out documents kept atthe church about the life of Saint Andrew Phu Yen. His statue standssolemnly on a small hill in the church yard. In addition, there is asmall chamber which was built inside an artificial hill. The basement isfilled with sculptures inspired by the life of the Saint.
"The Blessed Andrew Phu Yen is a great source of honour for our QuiNhon Diocese and Mang Lang Parish," said local priest Pham Canh Hien.
"In early the 17th century, one of the Jesuit missionaries to visit ourancestors was Alexandre de Rhodes, and it was he who educated andbaptised Andrew Phu Yen. Afterwards Andrew Phu Yen was privileged toreceive his martyrdom on July 26, 1644, becoming the First Witness ofthe Vietnamese Church."
Through the faithful example andprayers of Saint Andrew, Mang Lang village became the cradle of theCatholic missionary movement in Phu Yen province and continues to be adestination for pilgrims and the site of Catholic youth festivals.
Visitors can view relics related to the history of the church,including the first book of Christianity in Eight Days, an early exampleof a book written in Vietnamese romanised script. It was printed in1651 in Rome, Italy. The book was written by de Rhodes (1593-1660), aFrench Jesuit missionary and lexicographer.
De Rhodes,also known as Father Dac Lo, was among the first Western missionarieswho created the script, basing it on the Roman alphabet while addingnine accent marks or diacritics – four of them to create additionalsounds, and the other five to indicate tone. The many diacritics, oftentwo on the same letter, make written Vietnamese easily recognisable.
It's about 10km from Mang Lang Church to Tu Quang Pagoda in An Dancommune in the same district. The pagoda, built in 1797, is better knownas the Da Trang (White Stone) Pagoda, as it is located in an area richwith white marble.
Xuan Dai Mountain lies behind the pagoda, and the Ngan Son and Phu My rivers are also situated nearby.
Da Trang Pagoda is famous for its group of ‘grave towers' or stupas.Every year, on the tenth day of lunar January, local people hold afestival to commemorate monks and heroes who contributed to the nation,including Tran Cao Van and Vo Tru.
The two national heroesjoined the uprising led by Le Thanh Phuong (1825-87), a leader of theCan Vuong (Aid the King) Movement in Phu Yen province.
The movement was a large-scale Vietnamese insurgency between 1885 and1887 to expel the French colonialist in support of the boy emperor HamNghi, the eighth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty who was only on thethrone for a year (1884-85) as the leader of an independent Vietnam.
Today the pagoda is a great place to visit during the spring andsummer, when the mangoes in the pagoda's orchard are ripening. Themangoes have long been known for their delicious taste and pleasantscent. The fruit is considered a typical speciality of the land and usedto be offered to kings and members of the royal family.
The next stop is An Tho Citadel in the same commune. It was the provincial capital of Phu Yen from 1836-99.
The citadel is only 400m from the Phu Ngan River to the south and about150m from the Vet River, and facilitating easy access to the sea whentravelling by boat.
An Tho Citadel was recognised by theMinistry of Culture as a National Historic Heritage in 2007 and 12,5billion VND was invested for preservation and restoration work.
The project was completed in time for Phu Yen's 400th anniversary andthe opening ceremony for National Tourism Year in the southern centralcoastal provinces and Phu Yen 2011./.
Those who decide to visit the province should devote a day to exploringTuy An district, about 35km away to Tuy Hoa City – the provincialcapital.
A visit to the district allows you to explorethe richness of the local culture while also getting some interestinginsights into Vietnam's history as well.
Mang Lang Churchis a famed destination for Catholic pilgrims rather than a touristattraction but, its location, on the way to the nearby Da Dia Cliffs,makes it easy to visit.
The church was built in An Thachcommune, Tuy An district in 1892 by French priest Joseph de La Cassagne.It gets its name from the surrounding mang lang trees, which have ovalleaves and purple and pink blossoms. There is still an old table madefrom mang lang wood in the church, a fixture that has been here sincethe church opened. The Gothic style church, which is the oldest churchin the province, is situated on grounds that cover 5,000sq.m. A cross ispositioned in the middle of two steeples. The building, originallypainted white, has turned a dark grey with the passage of time.
Catholic visitors may be interesting in checking out documents kept atthe church about the life of Saint Andrew Phu Yen. His statue standssolemnly on a small hill in the church yard. In addition, there is asmall chamber which was built inside an artificial hill. The basement isfilled with sculptures inspired by the life of the Saint.
"The Blessed Andrew Phu Yen is a great source of honour for our QuiNhon Diocese and Mang Lang Parish," said local priest Pham Canh Hien.
"In early the 17th century, one of the Jesuit missionaries to visit ourancestors was Alexandre de Rhodes, and it was he who educated andbaptised Andrew Phu Yen. Afterwards Andrew Phu Yen was privileged toreceive his martyrdom on July 26, 1644, becoming the First Witness ofthe Vietnamese Church."
Through the faithful example andprayers of Saint Andrew, Mang Lang village became the cradle of theCatholic missionary movement in Phu Yen province and continues to be adestination for pilgrims and the site of Catholic youth festivals.
Visitors can view relics related to the history of the church,including the first book of Christianity in Eight Days, an early exampleof a book written in Vietnamese romanised script. It was printed in1651 in Rome, Italy. The book was written by de Rhodes (1593-1660), aFrench Jesuit missionary and lexicographer.
De Rhodes,also known as Father Dac Lo, was among the first Western missionarieswho created the script, basing it on the Roman alphabet while addingnine accent marks or diacritics – four of them to create additionalsounds, and the other five to indicate tone. The many diacritics, oftentwo on the same letter, make written Vietnamese easily recognisable.
It's about 10km from Mang Lang Church to Tu Quang Pagoda in An Dancommune in the same district. The pagoda, built in 1797, is better knownas the Da Trang (White Stone) Pagoda, as it is located in an area richwith white marble.
Xuan Dai Mountain lies behind the pagoda, and the Ngan Son and Phu My rivers are also situated nearby.
Da Trang Pagoda is famous for its group of ‘grave towers' or stupas.Every year, on the tenth day of lunar January, local people hold afestival to commemorate monks and heroes who contributed to the nation,including Tran Cao Van and Vo Tru.
The two national heroesjoined the uprising led by Le Thanh Phuong (1825-87), a leader of theCan Vuong (Aid the King) Movement in Phu Yen province.
The movement was a large-scale Vietnamese insurgency between 1885 and1887 to expel the French colonialist in support of the boy emperor HamNghi, the eighth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty who was only on thethrone for a year (1884-85) as the leader of an independent Vietnam.
Today the pagoda is a great place to visit during the spring andsummer, when the mangoes in the pagoda's orchard are ripening. Themangoes have long been known for their delicious taste and pleasantscent. The fruit is considered a typical speciality of the land and usedto be offered to kings and members of the royal family.
The next stop is An Tho Citadel in the same commune. It was the provincial capital of Phu Yen from 1836-99.
The citadel is only 400m from the Phu Ngan River to the south and about150m from the Vet River, and facilitating easy access to the sea whentravelling by boat.
An Tho Citadel was recognised by theMinistry of Culture as a National Historic Heritage in 2007 and 12,5billion VND was invested for preservation and restoration work.
The project was completed in time for Phu Yen's 400th anniversary andthe opening ceremony for National Tourism Year in the southern centralcoastal provinces and Phu Yen 2011./.
