Located just to the west of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, St Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi is a Gothic Revival landmark that dates to the late 19th century. It was one of the first buildings to be constructed by the French colonial government and stands as the oldest church in the city today, serving as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi.
The twin bell towers on St Joseph’s facade are among its most distinctive features and have been compared to those at Notre-Dame in Paris. The interior exhibits elegant stained glass windows with pointed arches that were crafted in France, while the ceiling is rib-vaulted in a medieval European style. There are also some distinct Vietnamese elements at St Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi, including the use of yellow and red nationalist colours on the interior decorations and its royal Hue architectural embellishments. Mass is conducted several times throughout the day, with the Sunday evening mass being the most popular when crowds spill onto the streets and hymns are broadcast on speakers for those outside.
St Joseph’s Cathedral is just a short walk from most of Hanoi’s Old Quarter sights and hotels. Alternatively, there are public buses which stop on the surrounding streets, while both regular taxis and motorcycle taxis are available outside its entrance.
While Hanoi was captured by the French in 1872, it wasn’t until they had maintained full control a decade later that work began on St Joseph’s Cathedral, finishing a year before French Indochina was officially established in 1887. During the Vietnam War and in the following years, the church was heavily persecuted and St Joseph’s closed down, only reopening to the public on Christmas Eve 1990.