Cai Be Church is a church with beautiful architecture, has the highest bell tower, and has the most beautiful location among all churches in the Mekong Delta.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Cai Be Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – Dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/cai-be-church-tien-giang/
Address: Belongs to Cai Be town, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province.
Added values: Coming here, visitors will admire Cai Be church with the Roman architecture of the West made of reinforced concrete and cast stone, through the ups and downs of time, it still retains its elegant and ancient beauty.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Cai Be Church? Or maybe you found it too long a drive here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Cai Be floating market (4 minutes), Cao Dai Temple in Cai Be (2 minutes), Ba Duc Old House (7 minutes), Ba Kiet Old House (6 minutes), Le Longanier Restaurant (9 minutes), Cai Be Market ( 2 minutes)…
2. Travel Guide to Cai Be Church
As a typical architectural style associated with the history of the territories in Western Europe during a period, Roman architecture has had a great influence on the world in both Asia and other continents. Today, we still see Roman architecture in church buildings built during the French colonial period in our country with ancient and dignified beauty such as Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon, Tan Dinh church, Ba Dinh church, Cai Be church… In particular, Cai Be church is a church with beautiful architecture, has the highest bell tower, and has the most beautiful location among all churches in the Mekong Delta.
Tien Giang is a rich land in the western provinces of the river. This place has charming scenery, and gentle people and is also a sacred land where Cai Be church is located on the bank of the confluence of rivers, where the Tien river flows smoothly. Facing the Cai Be floating market, the Cai Be church stands firmly in the middle of a busy river and boat area.
The church was built by German priest Adolphe Keller and relatives of the Cai Be parish from 1929-to 1932. The church is built of reinforced concrete cast stone, with a length of 55m, a width of 16m, and the height of the main roof of 14m. The ground of the church has the shape of a cross with one main heart and two auxiliary hearts, the two wings of the cross are very proportionate to the body of the cross, and the wings of the cross are 26m wide. Seen from above, the church looks like a giant cross that stands out between the green campus and the idyllic village.
3. What to Do – See – Eat at Cai Be Church
Located on the confluence of the Cai Be River – the gathering place of the famous Cai Be floating market, the Cai Be church stands out amid a busy river area.
The ground floor of the church is shaped like a Cross with two very balanced horizontal wings, including the main heart and two side rooms with a large and cool campus. Seen from above, the church looks like a giant cross that stands out between the green campus and the idyllic village.
The bell tower has a very large set of bells consisting of 4 bells, cast in France in 1931, with very advanced design techniques of bell pendulum and bell rod.
The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon cast by another company are far behind in the design technique of the pendulum of this church. At the foot of the bell tower is a rather large water cellar to amplify the sound of the bell. Church bells are the sound of peace, tranquility, and holiness, sowing in people’s hearts the levels of charity and joy.
The exterior of the church has very sophisticated and impressive decorations and embossed patterns.
At the two side gates of the front face of the church carved a pattern of vines.
The main hall is attentive to the smallest detail. The design and installation of many windows have cleverly brought light from the outside to the inside of the church.
High dome, divided zone with simple but delicate patterns. Magnificent interior and paintings are decorated solemnly inside the church. The stained-glass picture not only illuminates the interior of the cathedral but also has a unique aesthetic, creating a sacred space for believers to pray.
The main door, the windows and the pattern of the canopy on the side doors are all elaborately crafted. Roof frills harmoniously combine with the beauty of the doorways.
Every little detail is meticulously polished and rich in aesthetics. All are combined seamlessly and subtly to exude a majestic silence.
The church has 5 precious marble altars and a beautiful set of stained glass doors. When entering the church, visitors will feel a design rich in aesthetics, rows of seats are placed neatly on both sides of the aisle.
In the dawn light, the whole church complex becomes magnificent with its towering bell tower, the majestic statue of the Virgin Mary against the blue sky, bright brown roof, and the gentle river also glows to reflect the light of dawn.
In addition to bringing religious value, the Cai Be church is also considered a unique architectural work, where many Tien Giang tourists come to visit and take pictures. During the trip, you should combine with destinations such as Cai Be floating market, Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village, and the fruit garden.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Cai Be center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Cai Be. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Cai Be daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Cai Be Church
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Cai Be Church by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Cai Be village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Cai Be.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Cai Be Church
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Cai Be Church (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
Best time to visit Cai Be floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the Cai Be floating market.
If you plan to extend your travel to Cai Be Vinh Long homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Cai Be or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Cai Be responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Cai Be food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Tien Giang cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Hu Tieu My Tho (a kind of noodle soup but it is really yummy), elephant ear fish, snails with pepper, rambutan jam, snake wine, coconut candy, pop rice…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Tien Giang in the rainy season, as Tien Giang always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Cai Be tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, Puffed Rice Cake Traditional Village, Cao Dai temple (with a holy eye), Cai Be – Vinh Long homestay 2D1N, Cai Be floating market & small canals, Ba Duc Old House, Ba Kiet Old House, Mekong rest stop, amazing Vinh Long homestays on the islets, cocohome homestay, Vinh Long brick & pottery kiln, sampan (small boat) ride in small canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Cai Be Vinh Long, Tan Phong Islet, Cai Be Church, Le Longanier Restaurant
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Cai Be, My Tho, Tien Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
