When mentioning the architecture of Sapa, certainly, you are familiar with Stone Church that is a famous tourist destination at the center of Sapa town. However, there is the other unique architectural structure to be hidden between clouds and mountains in Sapa. This is Ta Phin Monastery. If you ask local people, you will be instructed the way to the monastery and discover a lot of mysterious things in this place.
The location and history
Located in Ta Phin Village, far from Sapa Town about 12 kilometers to the East, Ta Phin Monastery is easily recognized thanks to its paranormality and ancient French architecture. It was built in 1942. Inherently, it was home to 12 nuns converted to Christian Congregation. In 1945, they left for Hanoi so the monastery was abandoned as a ruin until now.
The architecture of Ta Phin Monastery
Ta Phin Monastery has 3 floors including an underground basement, a west facing horizontal house with 5 chambers and a staircase. In addition, the right side of the monastery has a vertical house connected to the horizontal house. This is the place used to store food, furniture and the kitchen of the monastery as well. Today, the whole building has no roof but only the old moss-covered walls still remained. In front of the monastery, there is a large and long corridor but it is also not intact.
Ta Phin Monastery is mainly made of stone and partly brick. Its walls are quite thick so it not only creates tranquillity but also keeps warm in the winter and cool in the summer for the monastery. All the windows are dome-shaped based on Roman architecture. The pillars in the front porch are made of monolithic stone and joined together by special materials, supposedly, from lime and molasses.
The ancient beauty of Ta Phin Monastery
Ta Phin Monastery is nearly 80 years old. Through the ups and downs of life, this place has become hauntingly mysterious, which creates a unique beauty compared to any places in Sapa. At the high altitude with the dense fog covering all year round, the ancient image of Ta Phin Monastery will easily make you feel as if being in the fairy tales. Going deeply inside, you will have a chance to see and touch the walls and windows under the slime of ages but still strong and solid.
Despite being abandoned for a long time, the ancient lines of Ta Phin Monastery is still the attraction to a lot of tourists to visit and take photos. If you have an intention to take a Sapa tour, you should not forget to bring a camera to save the memorable moments in Ta Phin Monastery. To visit Ta Phin Monastery in an interesting way, from the center of Sa Pa town, you can hire a motorbike with the price of 100,000 VND per day to explore the mystery of Ta Phin Monastery and some nearby areas on your own. It will be an unforgettable experience in your life.
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