Hanoi Ruins

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In November 1873, acting in support of the French trader Jean Dupuis, French troops under the command of Lieutenant Francis Garnier captured the Hanoi Citadel, before conquering the rest of the city. A decade passed before the colonists gained full control of Hanoi due to rebel insurgencies. Construction of the cathedral most likely started after this time and it was completed in December 1886, a year before the federation of French Indochina was established as part of its colonial empire. It was built by the French missionary and apostolic vicar of West Tonkin Paul-François Puginier, who obtained permission from the colonial French administration. It was built on the site of Báo Thiên Pagoda, which was demolished by the French in the 1880s to make way for the cathedral. This location was part of an 'administrative center' of Tonkin before the French colonial era. The cathedral was consecrated on December 24, 1886. After the Viet Minh took control of North Vietnam following the Geneva Accords in 1954, the Catholic Church suffered decades of persecution. Priests were arrested, and church property was seized and expropriated. St. Joseph's Cathedral was closed for regular services, though it was used sporadically before Christmas Eve of 1990, when Mass was permitted to be celebrated there again. In 2008, protests related to religious symbols occurred at the lot next to the cathedral.

In Their Own Story

Mass is celebrated in the cathedral several times during the day. For the Sunday Mass at 6:00 PM, large crowds spill out into the streets. 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 cathedral's main gates are generally only opened during Mass; at other times, entry is allowed through a side door in the compound wall of the diocese, after which a bell can be rung to enter the cathedral proper.

Reader's Guide

The cathedral is situated west of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, in a small square within the Old Quarter. Located at the end of the Nhà Thờ Street and the corner of Nhà Chung Street, is an upscale market area with boutiques and silks, popular with tourists as well as restaurants and small apartment blocks. The cathedral is also the headquarters of Archdiocese of Vietnam; it controls over 480 churches and chapels and 113 parishes, and serves 400,000 Catholics. Built with stone slabs and in brick with concrete facing, the façade consists of two towers, square in shape, rising to a height of 103 ft (31 m), with each tower fitted with five bells. The cathedral was built in a Gothic Revival (Neo-Gothic) style. The twin bell towers have often drawn comparison to those at Notre Dame de Paris; the architects of St. Joseph's sought to emulate its Parisian counterpart. The exterior walls of the church are made of granite stone slabs. Over the years, the cathedral's exterior has become severely worn down due to heavy pollution. In response, the cathedral underwent major renovation works between July 2020 and May 2022, restoring its external appearance and structural integrity. Windows are fitted with tall stained glass and have pointed arches. The cathedral's stained glass windows were produced in France before being transported to Vietnam. The ceiling is rib-vaulted like those seen in medieval Europe. The nave is weathered, while the sanctuary is made of polished gilt-trimmed wood, similar to that of Phát Diệm Cathedral, and has architectural embellishments in the traditional imperial style. A statue of the Virgin Mary is kept in a palanquin according to local custom, which is seen to the left of the nave. A pipe organ designed by the Belgian craftsman Guido Schumacher, was installed in the cathedral on 23 November 2022, as part of a cultural exchange project between Itami in Japan and Hasselt in Belgium. The instrument has 1,850 pipes.

Did You Know?

• The cathedral was built on the site of Báo Thiên Pagoda, which was demolished by the French in the 1880s to build the cathedral.
• The cathedral was closed for regular services after the Viet Minh took control in 1954, but was used sporadically before reopening on Christmas Eve of 1990.
• A pipe organ designed by Belgian craftsman Guido Schumacher, with 1,850 pipes, was installed on 23 November 2022 as part of a cultural exchange between Itami, Japan and Hasselt, Belgium.
• The twin bell towers rise to a height of 103 ft (31 m), each fitted with five bells.
• The cathedral's stained glass windows were produced in France before being transported to Vietnam.