Not far from the French Quarter and the Lake of the Returned Sword, at a central historical district of Hoan Kiem, there is a dim and majestic building, which stands out from the city architecture. This is Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, or, how locals call it, Hanoi Cathedral.

Passing by the temple, which became the major one not only for Catholics of the city but also for believers of the whole of Vietnam, it is difficult to refuse an irresistible desire to come in and take a closer look at its history. After all, is it common to find something similar on the streets of Hanoi instead of the already familiar Asian pagodas?

Saint Joseph’s Cathedral was built in 1886 on the ruins of a former Buddhist shrine called Pao Tien. The pagoda has been in this place since the 11th century. However, by the 19th century, it was practically destroyed by time.

The new temple got obvious neo-Gothic features: battlements, elongated stained-glass windows, carved and openwork details. When travelers see Hanoi Cathedral, many of them have a feeling of déjà vu, as it reminds them of the famous Notre-Dame de Paris and is, in fact, its peculiar variation. However, there is nothing to be surprised about: the Catholic temple was built during the French colonial period and was its logical stage.

The facade of the cathedral is decorated with two symmetrical square towers. They «grew up» right near the main entrance, above which there is a nice window in the form of a rose and a Roman dial clock. On a small square in front of the temple, parishioners and guests are welcomed by a statue of Saint Mary with baby Jesus.

Although Saint Joseph’s Cathedral looks like a European temple from the street, its interior gets us back to reality and makes us understand that, after all, we are in Vietnam. Yellow and red colors, which are traditional for local culture, as well as unknown motives and plots common for the countries of the former Indochinese peninsula, predominate in the decoration of the interior.