Cha Tam Church, Saigon/HoChiMinh City

The Cha Tam Church is a Roman Catholic parish Church in Ho Chi Minh City. It has a distinctive colonial façade and is painted in pastel yellow and white.

The church was founded due to the efforts of a Chinese Catholic Priest, Francis Xavier Tam Assou in 1900. On December the 3rd, 1900, which coincided with the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, Bishop Bossard laid the foundation stone. It was consecrated in 1902 and Tam Assou was its first priest. It was here that the Roman Catholic president of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nu hid during an attempted coup. When their attempts to contact loyal military officers failed, they were discovered and shot dead after being taken into custody by the leaders of the coup.

Cha Tam has been an active church from its foundation to date. The tower holds the statue of Tam Assou. He was a Chinese born vicar apostolate or representative of the Pope. He was sent to look after the affairs of the Chinese Catholics in the Cho Lon neighborhood of Saigon. A daily mass is held and the congregation consists of 3000 Vietnamese and 2000 ethnic Chinese parishioners. It is the only Catholic Church in Saigon with horizontal lacquered boards similar to a Chinese temple in the interiors.

Why You Should Visit:
Not the biggest church in town, but this one is a great place for a breather and it does boast a fine garden off to the side.