Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral has a full name of Basilica Cathedral of the Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
The architecture of the church was built according to the project of architect J.Bourard with Roman architecture mixed with the Gothic style, including the cathedral, the bell tower and the outside park.
Location of Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
- Address: Số 1, Công Xã Paris, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh
- Mass schedule: Mon – Sat 05:30 – 17:30; Sun 05:30, 06:45, 08:00, 09:30 (English mass), 16:00, 17:15, 18:30.
Learn about the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral
1. The cathedral
The cathedral is specially designed, can withstand up to 10 times the entire architecture of the church.
The interior includes a main hall, two secondary parts, followed by two rows of chapels.
The entire length of the cathedral is 93m, the widest up to 35m, the height of the dome is 21m. With this design, the cathedral can accommodate up to 1,200 people.
2. The altar inside
The altars inside are finely carved with monolithic marble. 56 colourful glass windows pieced together to create a very beautiful picture. All lines, edges, patterns follow Roman and Gothic forms of dignity and elegance.
3. The bell of the church
The bell tower is like the soul of a church. In the beginning, there were only 2 bells. In 1895, there were 6 bells in 6 tones (do, re, mi, son, la, si) hanging on 2 bell towers, and two additional roofs cover 21m high according to the architectural designer Gardes.
4. Outdoor park
The park is a precinct outside the cathedral. The centrepiece of the park is the statue of the Lady of Peace, made by the sculptor G.Ciocchetti in 1959.
The statue is 4.6m high, weighs 8 tons, made of white marble in Italy. The statue of the Peace Lady is in an upright position, holding the globe with the cross attached on it. Her eyes gaze into the sky like a prayer of peace for all people and the country of Vietnam.
Notre Dame Cathedral is not only a famous artistic architecture but also a witness to the history of Saigon. Having existed since the French colony, the church always stands and witnesses all changes and developments of Ho Chi Minh City as well as Vietnam. This place attracts millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year.
Activities to do when visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
The church is a nice place to visit, but take you about 30 minutes to visit and take pictures around the Cathedral. Thus, you can combine to do other activities as suggestions below.
- Visit the church’s interior: The red brick walls never getting dust and dirt, the stained glass windows in the sun are a part of what you can see here.
- Ground coffee: Enjoy the aromatic cup of Saigon coffee in the morning right at the corners of the church, on the lawn, you can enjoy the ancient cathedral.
- Feed the pigeons: The gentle, friendly pigeons will be ready to dance on your hands to get little bread crumbs or rice.
- Try snacks: Street food with fried foods, cakes, delicious soups and salads is always ready to serve you at any time of the day near the Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Cyclo explore the city: From Notre Dame Cathedral, you can also choose a cyclo and start your journey to explore the city.
>>> You may to visit another cathedral – Tan Dinh Church.
FAQ before visiting this place
When is the best time to visit Notre Dame Cathedral?
You can go to Notre Dame Cathedral at any time of day, even in the evening there will still be a lot of people visiting, and you can find a lot of snacks and coffee for you to taste nearby.
How long can I spend at Notre Dame Cathedral?
If you do not attend the ceremony, you need 30 minutes to visit and add 30 minutes more to take pictures and enjoy the delicious food here.
Can I combine visit the church with other places?
You can combine to visit Notre Dame Cathedral with many famous sites in the central area such as the Saigon post office nearly, Ben Thanh Market within walking distance. From here, you may go shopping at centres like Diamond Plaza, Vincom … With a typical position of the Notre Dame Cathedral, you can easily to move to other beautiful attractions in Ho Chi Minh City.