Situated right in the heart of Hochiminh City
is the most famous landmark as well as core Cathedral of the city, Saigon
Notre-Dame Cathedral (translated as “Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn). Notre-Dame
Cathedral, or Notre-Dame Basilica to be exact, is a famous age-long cathedral
in Southern Vietnam. It is a magnificient building located at the paris Square
in Hochiminh City downtown, attracting not only Catholics but also most
tourists for its neo-Romanesque style architecture and a sacred atmosphere.
Historical story
Established by French
colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell
towers, reaching a height of over 58 meters (190 feet). Following the French
conquest of Cochinchina and Saigon, the Roman Catholic Church established a
community and religious services for French colonialists.
The first church was built on
Rue 5 (today's Ngo Duc Ke Street). This had been a Vietnamese pagoda, which had
been abandoned during the war. Bishop Lefevre decided to make this pagoda a
church. In 1959, Bishop Joseph Pham Van Thien, whose jurisdiction included
Saigon parish, attended Holy Mother Congress held in Vatican and ordered a
Peaceful Notre Dame statue made with granite in Rome. When the statue arrived
in Saigon, on February 16th, 1959, Bishop Pham Van Thien held a
ceremony to install the statue on the empty base and presented the title of
"Regina Pacis". It was Bishop Pham Van Thien who wrote the prayers
"Notre-Dame bless the peace to Vietnam". On the following day,
Cardinal Aganianian came from Rome to chair the closing ceremony of the Holy
Mother Congress and solemnly chaired the ceremony for the statue, thus the
cathedral was then-on called Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Honored Basilica Status
The cathedral boasts its honored status as a
Basilica consecrated tens of years ago. In 1960, the Vatican founded a Roman
Catholic dioceses in Vietnam and assigned archbishops to Hanoi, Huế and Saigon.
Notre-Dame cathedral was titled Saigon Chief Cathedral. Yet, in
1962, Vatican anointed the Saigon Chief Cathedral, conferred it basilique in
honor of the tri-cenetary of the Bishopric of Saigon. Since then, this
cathedral was called Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, which
has enhanced its value and absorbed hundreds of thousands of catholics as well
as international tourists to pay a visit.
he special architectural style
Apart from the religious meaning that attracts
tourists, the even more special captivating point of Notre-Dame Cathedral is
its special neo-Romanesque style of architecture. During its construction, all
its red bricks were imported from Marseilles and colored glass windows made in
France’s Chartres Province, France. Tiles have been carved with the words Guichard
Carvin, Marseille St André France (perhaps stating the locality where
the tiles were produced). Some tiles were carved with the words “Wang-Tai
Saigon.” Many tiles have since been made in Saigon to replace the broken tiles
caused by war. There are 56 glass squares supplied by the Lorin firm of
Chartres province in France. The cathedral foundation was designed to bear 10
times the weight of the cathedral. In front of the cathedral is a statue of the
Virgin Mary. On a whole, the neo-Romanesque architecture and two 58m-high
square towers tipped with iron spires dominate the city’s sky line, creating a
beautiful religious site!
Weekly Service Schedule
Full services in both Vietnamese and English are
held every Sunday morning and are well attended by Vietnamese and foreigners
alike. Other services are held throughout the week. Hence, visitors who wish to
attend mass should go on Sunday at 9.30a.m.
Set amidst the active and continuously moving
Saigon, the Notre Dame Cathedral is considered a stop for seekers of old
beauties and calmness as well as one of the most popular tourist attractions in
Ho Chi Minh city. For those who wish to ease their mind from stresses of daily
life and immerse in tranquil atmosphere of religious buildings, touring this
diversified city under religious theme will give you the perfect chance to
explore the religions, the architecture and the cultural meanings lying behind
well-known religious places in Ho Chi Minh city such as Saigon NotreDame Cathderal (Catholic), Thien Hau Pagoda and Emperor
Pagoda (Buddhism), Mariamman
Hindu temple (Hindu)...
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