Some background on Notre Dame Cathedral
In 1876 the governor of Cochinchina held a design contest for a new church. Based on the original Notre Dame in Paris with a number of extra Gothic elements, the design by architect J. Bourad defeated 17 others. Completed in 1880 and using building materials imported entirely from France, at the time the church was the finest in all of the French colonies. These days the red-brick Notre Dame, known in Vietnamese as Nha Tho Duc Ba, remains a centre of worship for Ho Chi Minh City’s large Catholic minority and continues to be a pivotal landmark. (Source : ASIA LIFE HCMC)
Attended mass at Notre Dame Cathedral on 1 May 08 (Ascension Day, which is a day of obligation for Catholics). Ascension Day celebrates the ascension of Jesus to heaven after he was resurrected on Easter Day.
For those of you intending to visit the church, the opening hours are :
8.00am to 10.30am; 3.00pm to 4.00pm (weekdays) - they are quite strict about the timings.
Outside of these hours, you can only see the cathedral from the outside. You can't go in as the gates are locked - which will be a real pity. There's actually more to see on the inside.
Mass-times on weekends are :
Sat Evening Mass @ 5.00pm
Sun 5.30am 6.30am 7.30am 9.30am 4.00pm 5.15pm 6.30pm
Visitors can try to catch the mass at these times, if only just for a peek. The only English mass (part of which is still in Vietnamese) is on Sunday at 9.30am - attracts many curious tourists; so far, they've all been very respectful when visiting.
A popular spot for taking that obligatory photo
Lots of stained glass windows in the church
The steel fence is to deter a favourite but shameful habit of VN men - to prevent them from peeing on holy grounds!! The sign says "Holy Place. Please keep it clean." You'll find that many VN men will answer nature's call in the open unabashedly.
Mass times on Sundays
Visiting times on weekdays
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