Central Highlands church has communal look

The Pleichuet Church located on Truong Dinh Street in the center of Pleiku Town, Gia Lai Province, is built like a communal house on stilts by the ethnic minorities who live in the Central Highlands.

The church is also known as the Pleichuet Mission Center under the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

The church architecture and designs are copied from the communal house style of the Jrai people.

A typical feature of a Jrai house are long bamboo poles or neu placed in front of the courtyard. Neu is traditionally placed in front of the house to ward off evil spirits.

The church, though, is 5 times bigger than an ordinary communal house.

Its floor, nearly 2 meters above the ground, is supported with large wooden pillars.

The church co-opts the cultural markers of the ethnic minority communities who live in the Tay Nguyen, or Central Highlands region.

The main hall of the church, a large room with wooden floors, does not have seats or benches. It h

as a statue of the Christ on across in the center.

Smaller versions of the long bamboo pole with its decoration are placed inside the church near the main idol.

A solid stone fence surrounds the church.

Located next to the church is the building that lodges the clergy.