Kontum bishop’s building, still and serene

The cold breezes of early winter in the Central Highlands region blow through lines of old trees within the precinct of Kontum’s bishop’s building, making this site a heaven for seekers of a serene ambience and peaceful moments.

The cold breezes of early winter in the Central Highlands region blow through lines of old trees within the precinct of Kontum’s bishop’s building, making this site a heaven for seekers of a serene ambience and peaceful moments.
It is clearly seen that quietness pervades the bishop’s office on Tran Hung Dao Street in Kontum City most hours of the day and regular closing of the main gate is a clear sign of this. However, this does not mean visitors cannot enter the site.
We also saw the main entrance of the bishop’s office close when we came there over the weekend, and we thought that the chance for us was to stand outside to look at the trees and the charms of the building. But we were wrong.
After minutes of hesitation, we approached the guards there to ask for their approval to enter the site for photo shooting and they allowed us in via a small entrance on the right, though they were having lunch at that time.
The path behind the main gate leads directly to the wooden façade of the bishop’s office, which is still and serene but the noon sunlight exposes the original architecture of the old building.
Built many decades ago, the building is a harmonious combination of ethnic stilt houses of the Central Highlands and Western architecture.
The local features lie in the roofs and the materials used to build the building. The Western architecture beautifies the stone staircases leading to the main hall, and this feature together with the serene surroundings makes visitors feel they are in Europe.
The building is a real work of art and a museum of photos and items where visitors can grasp a better understanding of how Roman Catholicism has developed in the region since the middle of the 19th century.
To my experience, the bishop’s office is a must-visit stop for those who have traveled the long uneven roads and slopes to Kontum City. There is a wooden church very near to the bishop’s building.
If you happen to pass this site of interest and see the main entrance is closed, do not hesitate to ask the nice guards to let you in to discover the hidden beauty of the building and perceive yourselves in serenity.