St.Joseph’s Catheral was the well-known architecture with Gothic style, the time-honored church located in the heart of Hanoi. St.Joseph’s Catheral is located in the west of Hoan Kiem Lake and only convenient for short street away from Old Quarter area.
St. Joseph’s Catheral is built in the neo-Gothic style of the 19th century, with many details of the architectural style of the Notre Dame Cathedral. This is a place of religious belief of many Catholics belonging to the archdiocese of Hanoi and also a tourist attraction to many domestic and foreign tourists. Built in the French colonial period, the Cathedral is a typical colonial-style architecture in Hanoi.
According to many documents, the French government dismantled the ancient Bao Thien 800 years old and used the land on the old foundation of the temple to build a church. The style of these two buildings is quite different, the Gothic-style Grand Cathedral with typical European symmetry and towers. At 64.5 m in length with bell tower 31.5 m, the church is a monumental architecture of that time.
From Hoan Kiem lake to the West, visitors can easily recognize the fading facade of the church from a distance quite far. The shady, tree-lined boulevards of the church are home to a number of hotels and fashion boutiques for special visitors love the quiet area, separating the bustle of the Old Quarter.
Visitors can only enter the church through the main gate. Stained-glass windows and church-themed mural paintings emphasize the traditional European architecture of the church’s façade. There are still many motifs and ornaments in traditional Vietnamese style along the aisles, on the walls and on the altar.
The church opens to the public for free all day. Opening times vary from day to day, and churches usually close at lunch break. It’s a must-see place for all tourists come to Hanoi!
