Phat Diem Cathedral

Phat Diem Cathedral is known as a famous Catholic building in Ninh Binh with more than 130 years old, with unique architecture and different from the times. After many decades of construction, this place still retains its impressive beauty blending Asian and European styles and attracts a large number of tourists to visit every year.

General information about Phat Diem Cathedral

Phat Diem Cathedral (commonly known as Phat Diem Stone Church) is a Catholic church complex of about 22 hectares, located in Phat Diem Commune, Ninh Binh province, about 120 km south of Hanoi, 30 km from Ninh Binh center.

Not only does it have a unique architecture, Phat Diem Cathedral also has great historical value because it has existed for more than 100 years. This architectural complex was gradually built by priest Tran Luc (also known as Mr. Sau, 1825-1899), the architect of the Catholic architectural work.

Starting in 1862, priest Tran Luc researched and surveyed the terrain, as well as the entire land of Ninh Binh. After that, he chose this place to build the Catholic work. In 1865, he began searching for materials for the work and it was not until 1875 that construction officially began. It was not until 1898 that it was basically completed.

To build this cathedral, the workers had to spend a lot of effort, then go through countless difficulties when having to transport by road and water thousands of tons of stone, some slabs weighing up to 20 tons, hundreds of ironwood pillars, including a pillar 12m long, 2.4m in diameter, weighing 7 tons, from the region of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and many other places, hundreds of kilometers away to here.

After more than 130 years, despite numerous natural disasters and wars, the project has remained intact to this day. The architectural complex of Phat Diem Church was ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1988. Phat Diem Cathedral is not only a place for parishioners to pray but also a famous tourist destination in Ninh Binh.

The structure of Phat Diem Cathedral

The complex area includes ponds, monuments, Phuong Dinh (bell tower), Square Hall, chapels, artificial caves, …. The highlight of the architecture of the Phat Diem stone church is the harmonious blend of Eastern and Western styles. Phat Diem Cathedral complex includes a large church and 5 small churches. One of them is built entirely of natural stone, called the stone church, Phuong dinh (bell tower), a pond, and 3 artificial grottoes.

From the entrance, a path leads us to a rectangular lake. In the center of the lake is an island with a statue of Christ. Next comes a huge three-level square pavilion, built of stepping stones. Its arches are made of sophisticatedly overlapped stones. Both sides of the four walls around the pavilion are decorated with embossments, many of which show Christ shouldering the cross and other gods. 

On the second layer of the pavilion, there is a drum, and on the 3rd layer, there is a bell cast in 1890, 1.4 high, 1.1 in diameter, and nearly 2 tons in weight. The pavilion consists of five arches: one in each of the pavilion’s four corners, and the highest arch is on the 3rd layer. The roofs of these give arches are not as high as those found in other cathedrals, but are typically curvy and resemble the arches of ancient Vietnamese temples and pagodas.

The main cathedral was built in 1891. It has five delicately carved entrances and three high curvy-roof towers. It’s 74m long, 21m wide, and 15 m high, with four roofs and six rows of ironwood pillars in the middle, each 11m high and 2.35m in circumference. The main altar is a 3m-long, 1m-wide, 0.9m-high stepping stone that weighs about 20 tons. It’s three facades and two sides are carved with flower decorations. 

Lying parallel to the main cathedral are four smaller ones, each different from the others in style. At the end of the main cathedral to the north are three man-made caves, the largest of which is Lo Duc, a natural-looking cave in the northeast. 

At the far end, to the northwest, is the Stone Cathedral – the place for worshiping the heart of Virgin Maria. It earns such a name because all of its columns, beams, wells, and window bars are stonework.

Its inner wall is made of marble with embossments of stone lions and phonics. It was built in 1889, measuring 15 long and 9m wide.

The sophistication of Western church architecture is harmoniously blended with traditional Eastern architecture, reflecting the skillful and excellent stone-carving art of Vietnamese workers. The Phat Diem Cathedral is an attractive tourist destination for domestic and international visitors exploring Ninh Binh.   

Source: collected by An

Follow us for the best deals on Vietnam package tours and visa services!