A ruined church on a beach in Ninh Binh Province has become Vietnam's first climate change heritage site. Provincial authorities recognized the church and its bell tower on September 15. The church was rebuilt at its present location in 1927. Since then, storms, waves, and erosion have steadily eaten away the coast. Records show the sea has taken nearly a kilometer of land here.
Local churchgoers moved the church inland three times as the shoreline retreated. In 1996, they finally left it behind. Today its 27-meter bell tower rises right beside the surf, beyond the sea dike. Local people store fishing gear inside. The red-brick walls are badly damaged, and many sections could collapse. Visitors may walk around the outside, but entering is banned for safety. Photographers especially like the site at dawn and dusk.