Discover the oldest 130-year-old Phat Diem stone church in Ninh Binh Vietnam
Phat Diem Stone Church in Ninh Binh is a long-standing structure more than 100 years old and was built during 30 years with Eurasian architecture quite different from other churches in Vietnam. It is considered the “Catholic capital of Vietnam”. What is unique about this architecture? So today, let’s explore Phat Diem stone church with Bike Plus in Ninh Binh right here.
A few points about Ninh Binh stone church Ninh Binh Stone Church , also known as Phat Diem Cathedral , Phat Diem Church . This is a Catholic church complex that is rated the most beautiful in Vietnam. This project is located in Phat Diem town, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province, on an area of ​​22 hectares, 120 km south of Hanoi.

This architectural complex was built by the chairman of priest Peter Tran Luc. People often call him by the familiar name Sau – the parish priest of Phat Diem since 1965. It took nearly 30 years since the construction began in 1875, until 1898 the work was completed. With materials made entirely of stone and ironwood, it has been dubbed the “Catholic capital of Vietnam”.
Ninh Binh Stone Church – a masterpiece of East-West architecture Phat Diem stone church is a famous oriental-style architectural work, attracting domestic and foreign tourists.
Structure of Ninh Binh stone church The overall structure of Ninh Binh stone church includes many different items such as ponds, lakes, monuments, Phuong Dinh, the Great Church, the chapel of the Lord’s Heart, the biblical chapel of Joseph/Saint Peter/Saint. Ro Co and artificial rock caves… All are arranged on a space shaped like “Vuong”, in an open direction with a lake in front and mountains in the back. This increases the charm even more. At the same time, it clearly shows the thinking and concept of life of Asian people “there is water in the money, then there is paint in the post”.

Ninh Binh Stone Church is unique in architecture The unique feature of this work lies in the fact that although it is a Catholic church, it has the direction of a traditional Vietnamese temple. Shown in the design of the curved roof and the saint sitting on the lotus. According to Ninh Binh travel experience , Phat Diem Cathedral, in addition to the big church, has 5 other small churches.
The most prominent is Phuong Dinh, with a height of 25 m, a length of 24 m and a width of 17 m, built entirely of slate. This complex consists of 3 floors, the largest is the lower floor using green stone. The top floor has a bell weighing 2 tons, up to 1.9 m high. If standing from this position, visitors can surround all the surrounding scenery.
Centrally located is a large church area, 74 m long, 21 m wide, 15 m high, with four roofs and five intricately carved entrances. The main compartment of the cathedral places a large altar made of monolithic stone weighing about 20 tons, the front and back are carved with flowers typical for the four seasons. Along with that, the small churches are also very unique, from the columns, the background, the walls, the doors, etc. are carved in stone.
In the north of Ninh Binh stone church are three artificial caves. It is made up of different large and small stone blocks, arranged in harmony with the natural landscape.

History of Phat Diem stone church
In the early 19th century, this land was still very wild, full of mud and weeds. In 1828, there was a talented mandarin named Nguyen Cong Tru. This very famous monk was sent by the Hue court to the North with the title “Dinh Dien Su” to explore that new area. He is a man with great merits to have established Tien Hai (Thai Binh) and Kim Son (Ninh Binh) districts. These are two rich and bustling districts worthy of the name “golden mountain, silver sea”.
Phat Diem stone church complex was built in Kim Son land by priest Peter Tran Luc (commonly known as Sau, 1825-1899) presided over the construction. Mr. Sau has been the parish priest of Phat Diem since 1965. During his 34 years as the parish priest of Phat Diem, Mr. Sau has taken care of humane education, as well as the moral life for parishioners. Especially with a very wide view when building Phat Diem church complex. The materials of the church were built using the best materials at that time such as ironwood stone and this place was also known as the “Catholic capital of Vietnam”.

Some notes when coming to Phat Diem Stone Church
When visiting the temples and historical sites in the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, visitors need to keep their order not to affect people around, not to sit or step on the statues.
There are also stalls selling souvenirs and specialties of Ninh Binh such as Kim Son wine, burnt rice, after visiting you can refer to these gifts to be able to buy gifts for your loved ones and friends. friend.
You also need to choose the right clothes to come to this sacred tourist destination, you also need to prepare yourself a bottle of water to replenish your energy to be able to explore the entire unique church area. this is cool for you!
Also coming to this attraction, don’t forget to take pictures at Phat Diem tile bridge, this bridge used to be printed on Vietnam postage stamps.
Ninh Binh Stone Church as a representative of a unique architectural style, a feat that his father left for the next generation. If you have the opportunity to travel to Ninh Binh on your own , do not forget to explore it. This will be a destination that will bring you new and useful knowledge!