photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Paul Dudley | profile | all galleries >> 22 Overseas Trips >> Vietnam 2007 >> 7: Phat Diem, a very Vietnamese Cathedral tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

1: Hanoi | 2: Around Sa Pa | 3: Bac Ha Market | 4: Halong Bay | 5: On the way to somewhere else | 6: Villages for Ceramics, Silk or Furniture | 8: Tam Coc: A rowboat through caves | 7: Phat Diem, a very Vietnamese Cathedral | 9: Hué – Kings, Wars and Recovery | 10: South from Hué | 11: Bach Ma National Park | 12: Hoi An | 13: Nha Trang | 14: Buon Ma Thuot, an elephant, and a waterfall | 15: Saigon | 16: The Cao Dai Great Temple | 17: The Mekong Delta | 18: Saigon Water Gardens

7: Phat Diem, a very Vietnamese Cathedral

We were shown over the bell tower at the back of the main building with other visiting tourists. When they had departed, our guide had a short conversation with the priest, who then unlocked the side door of the main building so that the two "important Australians" could have a private tour. This main building, the cathedral, was built in the 1890s, but some of the outer buildings look much older. The cathedral was damaged by American bombs, but has been repaired.
View from the bell tower
View from the bell tower		 The west end of the cathedral
The "west" end of the cathedral		 View from the bell tower
View from the bell tower		 One of the side chapels
One of the "side chapels"		 The bell weighs nearly two tonnes
The bell weighs nearly two tonnes
Phat Diem Cathedral
Phat Diem Cathedral		 Above the main (west) entrance
Above the main ("west") entrance		 Carving at the west end of the cathedral
Carving at the "west" end of the cathedral		 Gold paint and lacquer lavishly used
Gold paint and lacquer lavishly used		 Seven-ton limewood columns
Seven-ton limewood columns
Madonna in ao dai
Madonna in ao dai		 A separate chapel
A separate chapel		 The main cathedral building, east end
The main cathedral building, "east" end		 The east end of the cathedral
The "east" end of the cathedral		 Beside the main building
Beside the main building
An older (?) church within the complex
An older (?) church within the complex

comment | share
click on thumbnails for full image