Francis Xavier Church, commonly known as Cha Tam Church, is a catholic church located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The church was built in the early 20th century to serve the Vietnamese-Chinese Catholic community in the Cho Lon area of Ho Chi Minh City. It is renowned for its unique architecture that blends Gothic elements with traditional Chinese styles.

In the late 19th century, the Governor of Cochinchina ordered the Department of Public Works to use public money to build a church for the Vietnamese-Chinese Catholics in the Cho Lon area, as they did not have a place to worship. The church was built on a 3-hectare land opposite Rue des Marines (now Tran Hung Dao Street), near Le Chau Assembly Hall. The church was named after Saint Francis Xavier and was dedicated on January 10, 1902.

Father Pierre d'Assou, who was the first pastor of the church, also built a school, a nursery, a boarding house, and some houses for rent in the church area. The church's architecture is a unique blend of Gothic elements and traditional Chinese styles, with a three-way gate-style church entrance, Chinese characters written on the roof, yin and yang tiles, curved ends, two fish on either side of the cross, lotus flowers on the roof, two urns on either side of the door and red-painted pillars in the main hall.

During the Vietnam War, the church is famous for one of the most critical historical events, as the then-President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother, Advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, temporarily stayed at a Vietnamese-Chinese house in the Cho Lon area during a military coup in 1963. The next morning, the two men went to the Cha Tam Church to pray before surrendering themselves to the coup faction, but were ultimately killed on the way to escort from the church to the General Staff.

The Francis Xavier Church, commonly known as Cha Tam Church, is a historical church located in Ho Chi Minh City that serves as an important symbol of the rich cultural heritage of the Vietnamese-Chinese Catholic community in the Cho Lon area. The unique architecture of the church is a testament to the blending of different cultural elements, and the interesting historical events associated with the church make it a fascinating place to visit for anyone interested in the history of Ho Chi Minh City.

Discover the rich culture and history of the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) by joining us on a Tales of Cho Lon tour