Where is Phat Diem stone church?

Phat Diem Cathedral (commonly known as Phat Diem Stone Church) is a Catholic church complex of about 22 hectares, located in Phat Diem town, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province, about 120 km far from Hanoi south. This complex was built in the 1880s and completed in 1899. The central cathedral, which now is the cathedral church of Phat Diem Diocese in North Vietnam, was completed in 1891.

The unique feature of these works is that the Catholic church is built entirely of stone and wood according to Vietnamese ancient architecture, bearing the appearance of traditional communal houses, temples, pagodas and palaces. This architectural complex was gradually built by Father Peter Tran Luc, priest of the Diocese of West Tonkin since 1865 and a local community leader for more than 20 years.

Phat Diem Stone Church is rated by the press as one of the most beautiful churches in Vietnam, likened to "the Catholic capital of Vietnam".

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The unique beauty of Phat Diem stone church architecture

Phat Diem church complex includes 1 large church and 5 small churches (in which one church is built entirely of natural stone, called stone church), 1 communal house (bell tower), a pond and 3 artificial caves. This work, according to Father Peter Tran Luc's wish, shows the harmony and integration between Catholicism and the nation's architectural culture as well as the harmony between Catholicism and other religions in Vietnam, showing the solidarity".

The unique feature of this work is that although it is a Catholic church, it has the feature of a traditional Vietnamese temple which is shown in the design of the curved roof and the saint sitting on the lotus.

The most prominent is Phuong Dinh, 25 m high, 24 m long and 17 m wide, built entirely of slate. This complex consists of 3 floors, the largest is the lowest 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 see all the surrounding scenery.

Located in the center 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. The front and 2 sides are carved with typical flowers of the four seasons, making the altar look like it is covered with a bright jelly-colored scarf. On both sides of the church there are four small churches with harmonious architecture, each has its own characteristics.

The four small churches are independent chapels on either side of the large church:

Church of the Heart of Jesus (1889) North East

Saint Roco's Church (1895) in the Southeast

Saint Joseph's Church (1896) in the Southwest

Peter's Church (1896) in the Northwest

North of Phat Diem church is three artificial caves which are about 100m apart, made of different large and small stone blocks keeping their natural appearance. There are large statues in the caves.

• Birthday Mountain: Originally named Tang Xac Mountain, built in 1875, it is also the first work built on a very large scale for the purpose of testing the settlement of newly accreted soil. From 1954, it was renamed to Birthday Mountain or the current Bethlehem cave.
• Lo Duc Mount: Originally named Garden of Gethsemane, built in 1896, from 1925 renamed Lo Duc cave.
• Skull Mountain: built in 1898, originally the cave of Bethlehem. In 1957, the statue of the crucified Lord was placed, since then named Skull Mountain.

To the northwest is a stone church which is built in 1883, bearing the title Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mother Maria. This is the first church built in this complex, called a stone church because everything in this church is made of stone, from the foundation, walls, columns, door bars... Inside carved with many beautiful reliefs, especially the carvings of the four quarters: Cedrus tree, apricot flower, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, symbolizing the weather and the unique beauty of the four seasons in a year. The lines depicting animals such as lions and phoenixes are incredibly vivid.

Don't forget to visit and take photos at Phat Diem tile bridge - the bridge that was once printed on Vietnam postage stamps.

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Experience discovering Phat Diem stone church

The ideal time to visit the church

You can go to Phat Diem Church in Ninh Binh at any time. But it is best to go for Christmas because there will be many activities and events at that time. The church is also invested with sophisticated and meticulous decoration that will make visitors amazed by its splendid beauty, especially at night so it's easy to take good pictures.

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Transportation to the church

Located not far from Hanoi, visitors can choose to travel by road (motorcycle, bus) or railway (train) to Ninh Binh. In the center of Ninh Binh city, you rent a motorbike or take a taxi to go to the south about 28 km to Phat Diem commune, you ask people for directions to the church.

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Source: Collected