Notre Dame Cathedral, typical French architecture in the heart of Saigon
Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica is a tourist destination not to be missed, featuring a bright red color. After nearly 140 years of struggling with wind sun time, roof tiles and a number of items of unique architecture of this degraded ominously.
According to the project of the Department of Culture and Sport Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee submitted in early May 12/2016, works of Saigon icon will have a roof restoration lasted from 2017 to 2019. specifically, will "reinforce, replace truss system with a combination of steel and antirust paint preservation; reinforcement, bridge replacement style, wooden bowl li group II, anti-termite, paint preservation; Additional roof replacement west, fish scale tiles, tiled under the status quo; rebuilt roof top edge shore, shore flow. " Funds for repairs by investors as archbishop of Saigon Court athletes from socialization.
Architectural marvels nearly 140-year-old symbol of Saigon
Looking back on 137 years of history of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, it should start from the origin first church was erected in Saigon, based on an abandoned temple on the banks of the Large Business (Grand Canal or Canal Charner ), an anchor of the largest timber ships of the US roofed with palm leaves and the bow are painted with fierce eyes.
Journal journey, geography, history and archeology (1), released in 1869, describes: "The first church, with a painted wooden bell tower, erected in Saigon in 1861 thanks the contribution of the civil servants and army officers French expedition. Many temporary buildings were erected along the canal became the village of Bishops, and also here, Monsignor Lefebvre - Bishop court performance and apostolic nuncio Isauropolis Southwestern States - took refuge before French troops captured Saigon".
Notre Dame Cathedral, typical French architecture in the heart of Saigon
In 1863, Rear Admiral Bonnard to build a stronger church above the city, which later became the site of the Conciliation Court (Justice de paix, where today is Sun Wah building on Nguyen Hue). Calling the "cathedral" (Cathédrale) maybe just to emphasize the function of sacred places only, because, according to the author of the book Land of Raoul Postel French Cochinchina (2), "the the tragic and this shabby actually not value for invoking it. On the outside of the church lonely splendor forklift abbey church Sainte-Enfance ".
Ten years later, the church is made almost entirely of wood damaged by termites gnawing serious to be closed in 1874 and used for temporary hall of the governor's mansion in South America for the ceremony.
If before 1869, Saigon church does not have any source of income other than donations of parishioners, then over a period of military power and the Church is not separated from the government, Bishop of Saigon was allowances 15,000 francs with 5,000 francs per diem (Bulletin Officiel de la Cochinchine, 16.5.1870) and the Cochin diocese also received a grant until 1880 when the first civilian government was shaped Members in South America.
Also during the period of military government, the colonial government had ceded to the diocese of South America more land for building works for hybrids, especially Saigon cathedral. The decision was a rear admiral-governor Duperre (1874-1877) signed on 09/27/1876 (Bulletin Officiel de l'Annam et du Tonkin, 1877) when absolutely convinced that South America has been pacified. He also found that it was time to affirm our faith and spacious French TV that faith in this remote country.
New church was moved to a central location, at the top of Catinat Street (now Dong Khoi). Sapper Department assigned lands (now Square 1 Cong Xa Paris, District 1, formerly Square Pigneaux de Béhaine), then under the control of the army, the local government. In return, the civil authorities fully responsible for the new church, as well as all maintenance work in the future restoration.
Dated 10.07.1877, in the presence of the governor of South America and the entire French government in Saigon, Monsignor Colombert, Bishop Samosate brand building, has blessed the first stone of the sacred nature projects sacred to Catholics. After two and a half years of construction, with a total cost of 2.5 million francs, the cathedral by architect completed design Bourard date 04/11/1880 and is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and St. François-Xavier .
Journal of the Society of the Missionaries of Paris May 07-08 / 1918 (3) describe Saigon church was built by the Roman architecture, 93 meters long, 35 meters wide, 57.3 meters high. Most raw materials, especially the red brick, was transferred from France. Two bell towers have six bells weighing a total of 25 850 kg.
The initial project only two 36.60 meter high bell tower. By 1895, two-peaked roof with a cross symbol for salvation 21 meters high was added to cover up the bell tower. According to the weekly Le Genie civil issued on 02/05/1896, two peaked roof made of iron, by André Michelin engineers designed, pyramid shaped eight corners, respectively are mounted directly in the frame counting method cantilever on each tower. Frame steel roofs and have a tendon attached to the iron staircase leads to the roof wall. On the roof are two 3.10 meters tall cross made of corrugated and rivets. Complete works of local workers' carried out under the supervision of a foreman Europe.
Notre Dame Cathedral - picture took by 1895.
Inside scale structures and characteristics are very aesthetic gold. Above the lobby is hung in the church window glass series put together by several color Lorin de Chartres implementation workshops. Each work on the windows reappear procession of saints from the Old Testament to the New Testament to celebrate the Immaculate Conception, the owner of the church. The main altar is made of marble and decorated rare three magnificent bas been six angels support in holding the Passion instruments in the Passion of Jesus. Inside the church aisle followed down cross, paved with mosaic art and at each end is an altar of the chapel. Around the main hall is the Virgin Mary Chapel (Sainte-Vierge), Sacred Heart (Sacré-Coeur), St. Joseph, St. Paul and St. François-Xavier. All are decorated with colored glass paintings put together symbolize every saint's chapel.
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica ... lovers who hate ...
Within 10 years, from 1908 to 1918, the number of Catholics in Saigon unchanged with about 5,530 people, including 4,000 in Europe, 800 Indians, 700 people and 30 people Annam States. European Catholics number tends to decrease resulting from the 1914 general mobilization.
Sunday morning rush hour ceremony or solemn ceremonies unique spectacle led to curious passersby to admire, in consideration of a travel manual for newcomers colonial published in 1906 (4 ): "the wings of the noble young lady, Miss West mixed with the colorful outfits of Indian women with darker colored dresses of women Annam or the white suit of men ".
(1) V. A. Malte Brun (chủ biên), Annales des Voyages, de la géographie, de l’histoire et de l’archéologie, Paris : Challamel Aîné, 1869, T. 1.
(2) Raoul Postel, La Cochinchine française, Paris: A. Degorce-Cadot, 1883.
(3) Missions étrangères de Paris, Annales des Missions étrangères de Paris, 1918/07-1918/08.
(4) Saigon-Souvenir, petit guide saigonnais à l’usage des passagers des débutants dans la colonie, Saigon : Coudurier et Montégout, 1906.
(5) Arthur Delteil, Un an de séjour en Cochinchine : guide du voyageur à Saïgon, Paris : Challamel aîné, 1887.
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