La Vang, a few kilometres south of Quang Tri town, is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in Vietnam. According to the founding legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to a group of Catholics hiding in the forest here during a persecution in 1798. A church was built on the site in the nineteenth century and rebuilt several times — the most recent version is the bell tower and shell of the church destroyed in 1972, preserved as it stood after the battle.
A large modern basilica has been built next to the ruin. The site attracts huge crowds during the annual pilgrimage on 15 August, and is quiet most other days.