Tra Co Church belonging to Tra Co parish of Hai Phong diocese is located in Tra Co ward of Quang Ninh province’s Mong Cai city. This has been one of the beautiful, large-scale religious architectures bearing the imprint of time and history in the city.
Tra Co Church was first built in 1857 on a modest scale and rebuilt on a larger scale in 1880. Due to the war in 1979, the damaged church was restored in 1995.
The old Tra Co Church had an area of over 12,000 m2 and faces to the south, and built-in the Gothic style with many pointed domes facing the sky. The front of the old church was designed to protrude with a soaring bell tower, pointed corrugated iron roof, and arched door frame. The two sides of the church's roof were attached with many reliefs with winding patterns.
The interior of the old church was designed in harmony with decorative patterns carved on wood, bearing the appearance of indigenous cultures. On both sides of the church’s inside were 14 stations of the cross depicting the life of Jesus. The church has also preserved an 80-year-old bronze bell.
Perspective of new Tra Co Church
The reconstruction of Tra Co Church was started on October 18, 2017, on the foundation of the old church, which was designed in the shape of a cross with a length of 68m, a chapel width of 16m, each corridor's width of 2m, two wings in the shape of a crucifix of 24m long, and a bell tower with a height of 46.5m.
According to Priest Joseph Ngô Văn Vàng, Head of Tra Co parish, the new church will be retained of patterns and motifs of the old church but built on a larger scale aimed to meet the religious need of over 1,000 parishioners of the parish.
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