The best part about visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon is that you can ‘kill 3 birds with 1 stone’, with the Saigon Post Office next to it and the Reunification Palace just 400m away. Anyway, back to the Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon…

 

 

Built in 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon is a good 126 years old by now. This granite statue of the Virgin Mary, titled ‘Regina Pacis’, was installed in 1959. Before that, it used to be a bronze statue of Bishop of Adran leading Prince Canh, the son of Emperor Gia Long. In October 2005, the statue was reported to have shed tears, attracting thousands of people and forcing Vietnam authorities to stop traffic around the Notre Dame Cathedral.

 

 

All the original building materials were imported from France. The outside wall of the cathedral was built with bricks from Marseille. And although the contractor did not use coated concrete, these bricks have retained their bright red color until today. The Notre Dame Cathedral also used to have stained-glass windows seen from outside the building. But they were destoryed during WWII and were never replaced.

 

Interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon.
Tip: if the front gate is closed, try the side gates to get in for a peep.

 

The few stained glasses found within the Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon.

 

Any idea what these words mean? Drop us a comment so we’ll all know.

 

Visitors often fail to walk round the Notre Dame Cathedral to appreciate its other beautiful views.

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