1. Saint Joseph Seminary of Saigon
The St. Joseph Major Seminary in Saigon was built in 1863 by Father Wilbaux and the Paris Foreign Mission Society, and is now located at 6 Ton Duc Thang Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. Previously, this was a large complex including the Major Seminary, St. Paul's Church, St. Paul's Seminary, chapel, monastery... last renovated in 1960.
Chapel inside the Major Seminary.
The church is now a place where mass is often held for foreign parishioners in the city. The exhibition house has three floors including rooms storing antiques, old books, relics of martyrs (such as bones of saints, swords, chains...), sculptures, religious and folk art paintings.
2. Tan Dinh Church (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tan Dinh)
Tan Dinh Church was started in 1870 and inaugurated in 1876. The overall architectural style is Romanesque. Since 1957, the church has been painted pink both inside and outside, earning it the nickname "pink church". Although it has undergone many renovations and expansions during various events, Tan Dinh Church has not lost its original architectural features.
Tan Dinh Church stands out with its pink color right in the city center.
The main tower of the church is 52.6 meters high, on top is a 3 meter high bronze cross. The two side towers have light towers, many windows with unique patterns closely connected together. The interior of the church is quite impressive with two rows of columns in Gothic architecture leading to the main altar made of Italian marble. The left side column is where the pedestals of female saints are located, the right side is the pedestals of male saints. In particular, the building also has 5 bell towers, with a total weight of 5.5 tons.
3. Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral
Construction began in 1863 and was completed in 1880. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is a fusion of Gothic and French architecture. In the past, Notre Dame Cathedral was the main church of the Indochina diocese. Today, it is one of the largest cathedrals in Vietnam.
Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the city's outstanding architectural icons.
In particular, all construction materials were imported from France, in which the unplastered orange-red bricks still retain their original color to the present. The two sharp peaks on the bell tower were added in 1984, which was the highest point in the city at that time, and is considered by tourists as a landmark to recognize Saigon from afar. Currently, the church is still in the process of restoration.
4. Cho Quan Church (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Cho Quan Church (Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5) when first built had a simple architecture, consisting of only a small chapel and an altar inside. The church has Gothic architecture, was destroyed and rebuilt many times in 1727, 1733, 1793, 1862, 1882. Within a century, the church was devastated by war and turmoil and had to be rebuilt many times. In 1882, on the old land, Father Hamm decided to build a new, spacious and solid church that still exists today.
Cho Quan Church seen from above.
The church has Gothic architecture and a red tiled roof. It took 14 years to build and was later added to. The total area of the church is about 16,000 square meters.
5. Father Tam Church (Francis Xavier Parish Church)
Cha Tam Church was built in 1900 - 1902, for Chinese parishioners in the Cho Lon area to come to worship, using Chinese characters and language from the past until now. The unique feature of this church is the architecture that blends European and Chinese Gothic styles. Right from the entrance gate, you can see the difference with the roof, all engraved with Chinese characters. This is a design in the style of three gates, an architectural style often found in royal palaces and temples.
Father Tam Church.
Going deeper inside, you can see the European Gothic style in this building in the entrance to the cathedral. However, most of the decorative patterns and motifs are influenced by Chinese culture and architecture. The columns are painted red, which is a familiar feature in Chinese religion. In the middle is the image of the crucified Jesus and next to it is a willow painted with red paint and gilded with Chinese characters.
6. Chi Hoa Church
According to the History of Chi Hoa Parish, Chi Hoa Church was built around 1890 and inaugurated in 1903. The building has the same French Gothic architectural style as Huyen Sy and Tan Dinh churches, but Chi Hoa Church seems to be simplified and not elaborate. Initially, the parish here was named Thanh Hoa, then changed its name to Chi Hoa in 1910.
Chi Hoa Church is located at 149 Banh Van Tran Street, Ward 7, Tan Binh District.
Chi Hoa Church is also called Chi Hoa Nam, as an affirmation of religious activities and customs in the Southern style, which until now is still a very unique way of performing ceremonies, reading prayers, and practicing religion... very Southern, very Saigon.
7. Huyen Sy Church
Huyen Sy Church, also known as Cho Duoi Church, was established in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Le Phat Dat, also known as Huyen Sy, donated land and 1/7 of their property to build the church. Construction of the church began in 1902 according to the design of Father Bouttier and was inaugurated in 1905. Huyen Sy Church is located on a high and wide land of more than one hectare, located at the corner of Frère Louis Street (now Nguyen Trai Street) and Frère Guilleraut Street (now Ton That Tung Street).
Huyen Sy Church.
The church was originally called Cho Duoi Church, because it belonged to Cho Duoi parish. However, people still called it Huyen Sy Church, and then gradually became the official name of this church. The main bell tower is 57 m high including the height of the cross and the Gallic rooster.
