English
French
Spanish
ItalianSt. Joseph's Cathedral
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is a Catholic church on the intersection of 3 streets: Nha Tho, Ly Quoc Su, and Nha Chung. It is a late 19th-century Gothic Revival (Neo-Gothic style) church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. The cathedral is named after Joseph, the patron saint of Vietnam.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Source: Crystal Bay)
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is one of the most ancient buildings in Hanoi, well-known for its nostalgic beauty, and mysterious and sacred appearance. In 1678, Pope Innocentinus XI honored Saint Joseph as the Patron Saint of Vietnam and neighboring countries. Therefore, the church was named after him and became the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Vietnam.
Pope Innocentinus XI (Source: Wikipedia)
The Cathedral has been a place for religious activities of Hanoian and neighboring provinces. Due to its unique architecture and rich history, it ranks among the most attractive tourist destinations when exploring Hanoi.
A sacred space for religious ceremonies (Source: Viet Fun Travel)
In the past, St. Joseph’s Cathedral used to be wooden. From 1884 to 1888, the Catholic Congregation proceeded to build a brick church, which cost around 200,000 French francs.
At that time, the Bishop asked the French protectorate government to hold a lottery to raise funds. After being rejected twice, he was finally approved to hold 2 lottery rounds (respectively in 1883 and 1886). It brought about 30,000 French francs, adding other funding, making it enough to complete the church.
Traces of time on the mossy walls (Source: Redsvn)
St. Joseph’s Cathedral followed the European medieval Gothic architectural style, which was popular in the 12th century. It was based on Notre Dame de Paris with pointed arches, towards the sky.
The European medieval Gothic architecture (Source: Crystal Bay)
The main materials are terracotta bricks, the walls are plastered with papier mâché. The church is 64,5m long and 20,5m wide. It has 2 bell towers 31,5m high, with large, heavy stone pillars at 4 corners. On the top is a stone cross.
The stone cross on the top and the clock mounted on the facade (Source: Redsvn)
The church also has a set of Western bells, including four small bells and a large bell, especially the large clock mounted in the middle of the church facade. The clock also has a bell system linked to 5 bells hung on two towers. The Holy Mother of God metal statue is put in the central square in front of the church. Surrounding, there are flower beds, lush trees, and a grotto behind.
Mother Mary statue (Source: Wikipedia)
Recommendation for you: South Vietnam Tours
Although the Cathedral seems ancient and worn out outside, with mossy walls and old lime, when stepping into the church, visitors will be impressed by its majestic, magnificent architecture, which has endured with time.
.jpg)
Majestic and magnificent interior (Source: Redsvn)
In the lobby, there is a large door and 2 small doors on either side of the tower. They are all pointed in Gothique style, along with beautiful stained glass paintings of God, creating a source of natural light inside the church.
Gorgeous stained glass paintings (Source: Redsvn)
Gothic and indigenous architecture are combined, expressed in the terracotta tile roofs outside and the interior carvings. The sanctuary and altars are decorated in traditional folk art, with unique and sophisticated carvings of gilded wood patterns. The terracotta statue of Saint Joseph is put in the main hall.
The sanctuary is decorated in Vietnamese traditional folk art (Source: Tap chi Kien truc)
The church has masses on both weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. From Monday to Friday, mass will take place from 5:30 am to 6:15 pm, Saturday at 6 pm. On Sundays, it will have more mass times, including:
Mass is celebrated in the cathedral several times during the day. For the Sunday Mass at 6:00 pm, prayers and hymns are broadcast to the plaza outside. Catholics who are unable to enter the cathedral congregate in the street and listen to hymns.
The center of St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Source: Redsvn)
On March 19 annually, the Cathedral solemnly organizes the procession in honor of the Patron Saint St. Joseph. This is an occasion to remember the good things that St. Joseph did in his life, listen to his teachings, and pray for his help and protection.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is open to visitors free of charge.
The church always welcomes all people (Source: Redsvn)
St. Joseph’s Cathedral’s address is at 40 Nha Chung Street, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Tourists can consider the following options:
Otherwise, tourists can use car booking apps like Grab, Bee, XanhSM to go straight to the Cathedral without any inconvenience.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is a worth-visiting religious place in Hanoi because of its rich history and gorgeous Catholic architectural style. Want to explore this ancient beauty with Asia King Travel? Contact us now and let us schedule your fascinating trip!
Recommendation for you: North Vietnam Tours
