As people came to settle in Xuong Dien, Hai Tien Commune, they built dikes and reclaimed land from the sea for agriculture and to protect their homes.
Located inside a local church complex, the old chancel, named the Heart of Jesus Church, was first built elsewhere in 1877 and then rebuilt at its current location in 1927.
However, over the past century, the area has been constantly battered by storms, waves, and severe coastal erosion.
Historical records show that the sea has swallowed nearly a kilometer of coastal land here.
In 1925, a three-kilometer stretch of the local dike was breached; by 1990, 1.5-kilometer of land was lost as the sea made inroads.
As the shoreline kept receding due to the waves, currents, winds, storms, and climate change, local parishioners moved the church inland three times.
In 1996, however, they gave up and abandoned the church, which now stands at the edge of the waves outside the current sea dyke.
Photo by Hoang Duong
The church was designed in Gothic style by a French architect using red bricks on an area of 9,300 sq.m.
The 27-meter bell tower stands out with its arched doorways and European-style decorative patterns.
Photo by Huy Tran
The front of the church's bell tower. At the crown of the bell tower is a 15-meter-high arch.
Photo by Huy Tran
Locals take advantage of the space inside the church to store fishing gear.
The brick walls are stained with age and battered by waves, with many sections severely degraded and facing the risk of total collapse.
Photo by Huy Tran
On Sept. 15, the Hai Ly ruined church and its bell tower were recognized as a tourist attraction, a "Climate Change Heritage" site, by the Ninh Binh People's Committee.
The Hai Tien People's Committee is tasked with managing and developing the site in accordance with regulations.
Visitors can explore the exterior area, but entering the structure is prohibited for safety reasons.
Photo by Le Hoang
The Hai Ly ruined church is a favorite for many photographers, especially at dawn and dusk. The old brick walls rising from almost out of the sea create a wild and distinctive look.
The area surrounding the church is a fishing village without any lodging available for visitors yet.
Some travelers choose to stay overnight in temporary shacks and huts belonging to locals who buy and sell seafood, allowing them to wake up early to watch the sunrise, observe fishermen hauling their nets, and learn about life in the fishing village.
Photos by Huy Tran, Hoang Duong
From Hanoi, visitors can travel by car on national highway 1A, turn onto National Highway 21 toward Nam Dinh, cross Do Quan Bridge, and continue toward Hai Tien Commune.
They can combine a trip to the heritage site with visits to the Phu Nhai and Bui Chu churches and Hai Tien Beach.
The can stop by fishing villages along the Hai Hau coast to chat with local fishermen, try freshly caught seafood, and generally soak in the coastal ambience.
Photo by Dung Tran
