History of Chau Son Monastery, Ninh Binh

Chau Son Monastery, Ninh Binh, is a monastery of the Cistercian, where monks retreat to meditate and meditate. This monastery is also known by other names such as Chau Son Monastery, Chau Son Church or Brick Church.

Master Thuy – Manager of the Fatima Prayer Garden at Chau Son Monastery shared that the church was built between 1939 and 1945, with French Gothic architecture. The dome of the church is not built of reinforced cement, but is created from a combination of molasses, bagasse and bamboo.

Although more than 77 years have passed, the features and details of the church have been preserved almost intact, except for the red tile roof on the outside that was repaired in 2014. Holy Mother Chau Monastery Church Son is one of four churches dedicated in Vietnam in 1945, along with Notre Dame Cathedral, Hanoi Cathedral and Phu Nhai Cathedral.

What time of year should you visit Thanh Mau Chau Son Monastery?

Ninh Binh province has a tropical monsoon climate with an average temperature of only about 23.5 degrees Celsius. This place is divided into 4 distinct seasons with the characteristics of cold, dry winters and hot, humid, rainy summers. Therefore, every time of the year, Ninh Binh as well as Thanh Mau Chau Son Monastery wear a unique outfit for you to explore.

However, to make your trip to explore Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex more interesting, you should choose spring time (January to March). At this time, the climate here is extremely cool, slightly chilly, very convenient for you to walk around the monastery grounds and check-in for 1001 beautiful, poetic photos. Or you can also choose to travel in the summer from April to June when the sky is clear, airy, and under bright sunlight.

A note for you is that Ninh Binh in winter often has cold spells, hindering your fun. You should check the weather forecast before going to Thanh Mau Chau Son Monastery at this time.

Explore the European-style architecture of the nearly hundred-year-old monastery

The age of Chau Son Monastery is nearly a hundred years old, this place is also likened to a flower in the middle of Nho Quan mountains and forests, Ninh Binh. One of the things that attracts tourists to visit is the classic, European architecture. Let’s explore the next part!

Architecture of the main building

Father Placido Truong Minh Trach was a young monk who had never studied architecture, but together with his students built a monastery with the purpose of specializing in contemplation. Because of the architecture like an ancient castle hidden in the middle of a green forest, this has made this place more mysterious.

The cathedral has a Gothic style design with a length of 64 meters, a width of 20 meters and a height of 21 meters. The site was also built from East to West, with the facade facing East as a symbol of orientation to Christ.

The enchanting beauty inside the cathedral

The walls of the cathedral are harmoniously decorated with windows, divided into two floors, upper and lower. The interior windows of the cathedral are made from luxurious wooden glass, and the exterior windows are decorated with “engraved” paintings with images of Saints and images of Jesus.

Inside the Cathedral, natural light from large windows flows into two wide hallways. Thanks to this light, the columns become more prominent with meticulously designed details. In addition, the white dome has become the highest point of the architectural art inside, highlighting unique reliefs, symbols of the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary and the Saints…

The green, peaceful campus of the Monastery

The monastery’s grounds are home to hundreds of trees and flowers of beautiful colors, artistically cared for and pruned. During the tour, visitors will encounter exquisite designs, including gardens, lush greenery, exquisite sculptures and statues of Saints…

Surrounding the Cathedral is a fairly large space with the Fatima Garden – this is a green corner with lush meadows and a clear lake. The garden is decorated with stones from the Southern region along with an artificial egg rock beach.

In addition, the campus also has a stone well called Jacob’s Bee Well located deep underground and a stone cave called Skull Mountain located behind Chau Son Holy Mother Monastery. All of this has created a quiet and solemn space at the Monastery, like a sacred place suitable for practicing religious practice.

Some things to note when visiting Chau Son Thanh Mau Monastery

You should choose elegant, discreet clothing because the Cathedral is a sanctuary.

• Sandals or sports shoes for ease of movement to explore every corner of the large monastery.
• You should wear a hat or an umbrella to block the sun when you admire the view outside the monastery on hot summer afternoons to maintain your health.
• During the ceremony, you absolutely must not talk or joke, causing disorder and affecting the quiet space and solemn atmosphere of the cathedral.
• Remember to prepare some change when you go to Thanh Mau Chau Son Monastery to accumulate good fortune for the church and for you.
• Bring a backup charger to ensure your phone or camera is always fully charged for those “virtual life” photos.
• Remember to bring drinking water to quench your thirst and throw trash in the right place to preserve the beauty of the monastery.