Cha Tam Church on DL Tran Hung Dao in Cholon.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Cha Tam Church

Ho Chi Minh City


Built around the turn of the 19th century, this decaying light-caramel-painted church exudes a sleepy, tropical feel. A pew in the church is marked with a small plaque identifying the spot where President Ngo Dinh Diem was seized after taking refuge here with his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu on 2 November 1963, after fleeing the Presidential Palace.

When their efforts to contact loyal military officers (of whom there were almost none) failed, Diem and Nhu agreed to surrender unconditionally and revealed where they were hiding. The coup leaders sent an M-113 armoured personnel carrier to the church and the two were taken into custody. However, before the vehicle reached central Saigon the soldiers had killed Diem and Nhu by shooting them at point-blank range and then repeatedly stabbing their bodies.

When news of the deaths was broadcast on radio, Saigon exploded with jubilation. Portraits of the two were torn up and political prisoners were set free. The city’s nightclubs, which had closed because of the Ngos’ conservative Catholic beliefs, were reopened. Three weeks later the US president, John F Kennedy, was assassinated. As his administration had supported the coup against Diem, some conspiracy theorists speculated that Diem’s family orchestrated Kennedy’s death in retaliation.

The mint-green and white church interior is decorated with images of the stations of the cross, while holy water is dispensed from huge clam shells. The statue in the tower is of François Xavier Tam Assou (1855–1934), a Chinese-born vicar apostolic (delegate of the pope) of Saigon. Today the church has a congregation of around 3000 ethnic Vietnamese and 2000 ethnic Chinese. Masses are held daily.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ho Chi Minh City attractions

1. Ong Bon Pagoda

0.2 MILES

This atmospheric temple is crammed with gilded carvings, smoking incense and the constant hubbub of kids from the large school next door. Built by Chinese…

2. Ha Chuong Hoi Quan Pagoda

0.27 MILES

This Fujian temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Seafarers, Thien Hau (Thien Hau Thanh Mau), also known as Ma To. The four carved stone pillars, wrapped…

3. Binh Tay Market

0.3 MILES

Cholon’s main market has a great clock tower and a central courtyard with gardens. Much of the business here is wholesale but it’s popular with tour…

4. Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda

0.39 MILES

Delightfully fronted by greenery and opening to an interior blaze of red, gold, green and yellow, this is one of the most beautifully ornamented temples…

5. Quan Am Pagoda

0.42 MILES

One of Cholon’s most active and colourful temples, this shrine was founded in the early 19th century. It’s named after the Goddess of Mercy, whose full…

6. Traditional Herb Shops

0.47 MILES

While you’re roaming the area, stroll over to the strip of traditional herb shops between Ð Luong Nhu Hoc and Ð Trieu Quang Phuc for an olfactory…

7. Thien Hau Pagoda

0.48 MILES

This gorgeous 19th-century temple is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, and always attracts a mix of worshippers and visitors, who mingle beneath the…

8. Khanh Van Nam Vien Pagoda

0.48 MILES

Built between 1939 and 1942, this temple is said to be the only pure Taoist temple in Vietnam and is unique for its colourful statues of Taoist disciples…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/attractions/cha-tam-church/a/poi-sig/403272/357884",
      "destination": "Ho-Chi-Minh-City",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Vietnam",
      "city": "Ho-Chi-Minh-City",
      "position": "superzone"
    }