Phat Diem Stone 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 decades of construction, this place still retains its impressive beauty blending Asian and European styles and attracts a large number of tourists to visit each year.

Phat Diem Cathedral was built from 1875-1899, an architectural complex, including: ponds, communal houses, a large church with four churches on both sides, three artificial stone caves and a stone church. The architectural space of the church is imbued with clear Eastern cultural features in the style of “before the water, after the mountains” which means there is a lake in front and a rocky mountain in the back. May the people’s lives be peaceful and good.

Visitors to the church will first encounter a rectangular pond and lake, in the middle of which is a small island with the throne of Jesus as king. Next is Phuong Dinh (Phuong Dinh means square house), this is a massive stone structure (24m wide, 25m high, 17m long) in the shape of a large village communal house. The communal house consists of 3 floors. The largest lower floor is built of green slate, a tribute to the local craftsmen who assembled the stones weighing thousands of pounds, with a very high level of precision. The arches are also assembled with sophisticated stone. In the middle of the pavilion is a monolithic stone wall, outside and inside are stone reliefs carved with beautiful images of Jesus and saints with elegant lines. The second floor of the pavilion hangs a large drum. The third floor hangs a bell cast in 1890, 1.4m high, 1.1m in diameter, weighing nearly two tons. The roof of Phuong Dinh has five domes, four domes in the four lower corners, the highest dome is the dome in the middle of the third floor. The roof of Phuong Dinh at Phat Diem Cathedral is not a towering tower like Western Catholic churches, but is an ancient low curved roof like the roof of a communal house or pagoda in a Vietnamese village. The two outer walls of Phuong Dinh are stone bars shaped like bamboo trees. On the outer walls of the lower floor, there are bas-reliefs depicting the story of Jesus from the time he entered Jerusalem until he ascended to heaven.

Experience exploring and “checking in” at Ninh Binh church

Admire the unique, long-standing architecture

One of the highlights that creates the reputation of the church building in Ninh Binh is the unique design that has appeared for more than 130 years. “The Catholic Capital of Vietnam” not only owns an area of 22 hectares, but also has an architecture that combines traditional European and Asian styles of Vietnamese people.

Phat Diem Stone Cathedral used natural stone and wood materials to build very solidly. Besides the slightly Western lines, it can be clearly seen that the roof of the building is used in the style of a Vietnamese pagoda with a characteristic boat-shaped curved roof. Every line appearing on the church is delicately and meticulously expressed.

Explore Phuong Dinh – Phat Diem Cathedral

Phuong Dinh can be considered the focal point of all famous churches in Ninh Binh, with solid natural stone assembled from giant green stone blocks. As soon as you enter the complex, you will be impressed with the Phuong Dinh building, which is 21m wide, 17m deep, 3 floors high, square and majestic.

Not only outstanding in meticulous design and scale, this place also has 5 tower blocks, with a bell weighing about 2 tons and 1.9m high, bringing sound that resonates 10km away. If visitors go up the towers, they can see Phat Diem Cathedral in the most general and clear way.

“Check in” at the Heart of Mary

Built in 1883, with a length of 15.30m, width of 8.50m, height of 6m and using 100% monolithic natural stone, the Heart of Mary, also known as the stone church, owns Many beautiful reliefs inside. Among them, the outstanding carvings that cannot be missed are the four precious pine trees, apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, and bamboo.

It can be said that Phat Diem Cathedral is a unique architecture in Vietnam, with magnificent architectural works, a harmonious and sophisticated combination of Western church architecture and traditional Eastern architecture. Therefore, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral has become an indispensable part of Ninh Binh tourism complex. The architecture with both East and West influences will create interesting discoveries when visitors explore this place.