A virtual tour of St. Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi

St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the oldest church in Hanoi, located on Nha Tho Street, situated west of Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Old Quarter. The church was constructed in 1886, with the neo-Gothic architectural style described as resembling Notre Dame de Paris. The church was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in Indochina.
The oldest church of Hanoi now becomes a famous tourist’s site for both international and domestic tourists, the young local people love this place, the most attractive street of Hanoi including Nha Tho str Nha Chung str, Ly Quoc Su str, Au Trieu str… with many nice restaurants, bars, boutiques, and coffee shop… We can find many tourists, mostly young people who love taking photographs at this place, with the background of the Church.
Every weekend, especially on Christmas day, thousands of local people (both Christian and non-Christian) visit this religious site.

The best time to visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral is in the early morning, it is time for you to place in a nice coffee shop with such a view to enjoy the beauty of this historical site. It gets more crowded later in the afternoon and in the evening, with many young people taking a selfie.

How to get there from Hoan Kiem lake

From Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of Hanoi, you head to Hang Gai strand turn left to Ly Quoc Su str then Nha Tho street or you walk along Hang Trong str then Nha Tho str, with a Starbucks coffee shop at the corner.
>>> Location on google map
Entrance fee: No

Opening time & Mass time

Monday to Saturday
Morning: 08:00 am — 11:00 am
Afternoon: 14:00–17:00
Sunday
Morning: 07:00 am — 11:00 am
Afternoon: 15:00–21:00
Sunday afternoon is the crowded time for locals worshipping.
Mass time
Weekdays: 05:30 and 18:15
Saturdays:
05:30: Weekday mass
18:00L Vigil mass
Sundays:
05:00: Mass in Vietnamese
07:00: Mass in Vietnamese
09:00: Mass in Vietnamese
10:30: Mass in France
16:00: Mass for children
18:00: Mass in Vietnamese
10:00: Mass for Youth
Confession schedule
Thursday: 17h30
Friday: 17h30
Saturday: 17h30
Sunday: 08:30, 15:30, 17:30

Virtual tour of Hanoi St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Exterior
In front of the church, there is a statue of Mother Maria covered by a metal fence and decorated with many flowers

The architecture with domes of the cathedral follows the Gothic style and design of the Paris Cathedral. It is 64.5m in length, 20.5m in width with two bell towers of 31.5m-height

The Church with the front door in the middle and 2 side doors. The front door opens only in the special day and mass time for worshippers while the 2 smaller side doors open for the public follow the opening time of the day.

Interior
Getting inside the church, you will find the stained glass windows, to the religious paintings for decoration follows Western style

A painting decoration inside

During the day, St. Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi is a favorite place for taking photographs (especially wedding photography) and playground for tourists and locals.

After visiting St. Joseph’s Cathedral you might want to take a coffee with such a view to the quarter or try some street food. Hope this information helps you plan your visit to this oldest Church of Hanoi

Source: https://hanoibylocals.com/saint-josephs-cathedral-hanoi-virtual-tour/