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“Nha Tho Duc Ba Sai Gon” which is known as Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon has an official name as Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica in English and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saïgon in French. This French-built cathedral occupies scenic Paris Square in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City at 1 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1, Notre Dame Cathedral. It is one of the oldest religious architectural works in Saigon. Combining to other constructions such as Central Post Office, Reunification Palace, Opera House, etc. Notre Dame Cathedral contributes to create a unique architectural complex, which is the symbol of urban architecture of the most dynamic city, Saigon – Ho Chi Minh city.

History

Immediately after occupying Saigon, the French established a church to serve as a place of worship for Catholics in the army. The first church was located on today’s Ngo Duc Ke street, which is an old Vietnamese temple abandoned due to the chaos of the war.
This first church quickly became small with an increasing number of believers. In 1863, Governor Louis Adolphe Bonard decided to build a wooden church on the banks of the Charner Canal (Kinh Lon). This canal was later filled and built into Nguyen Hue Street today. Father Dominique Lefèbvre put the first stone for the construction of this church, then named it as Saigon Cathedral. However, due to the wooden construction, the church was soon destroyed by termites. Thus, in preparation for a new solid church on the growing land, in August 1876, the Governor of Cochinchina – Victor Auguste Duperré organized a competition to select designs for the new church.
Architect J.Bourad was chosen with a modified Roman architecture project combining with Gothic characters. And he also won the bid to build this historic building. The original construction site was proposed in three places, and finally the Paris Commune Square was chosen. The front of the church turns to the Southeast, towards Nguyen Du Street, the back heads to the current Le Duan Street. The construction was done fairly quickly, nearly 3 years. On 11th April 1880, a blessing ceremony and inauguration ceremony of Saigon Cathedral was solemnly celebrated by Bishop Colombert with the participation of Cochinchina Governor – Charles Le Myre de Vilers.
All construction materials for the church such as cement, steel, tile, stained glass, bells, etc. were all transported from France. The outside of the buildings, for instance, was built totally of red bricks from Marseille without plastered or cemented. However, it still remains fresh orange-red color until today. In the beginning, the Church was called the State Church, because all the construction funding was provided by the French State, with an amount of up to 2,500,000 francs at that time.
In 1895, the church built two more bell towers, each tower was 57.6 m high and had 6 large copper bells. At the top of the tower is a crucifix with a height of 3.50m. Overall height from the ground to the top of the crucifix is 60.50m.
In 1958, the governor of the Saigon at that time, Father Joseph Pham Van Thien, ordered a statue of the Mother of Peace on white marble. The statue was carved in Italy and transported to Saigon by sea in 1959. After that, Société d’Entreprises Company has erected a statue of Our Lady on a stone pedestal that has been empty since 1945 in front of the church.
At the end of the ceremony of the National Congregation of the Holy Mother, Cardinal Aganianian from Rome blessed the statue in the afternoon of 17th February 1959. From this event, the Church was named Notre Dame Cathedral. On December 5, 1959, the Holy See allowed to hold anointment ceremony, conferring the Saigon Cathedral to the basilica. Since then, the official name of the cathedral is the Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon.
In 1960, the Holy See erected Roman Catholic dioceses in Vietnam with three archbishops in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon. The church became the cathedral of the archbishop of Saigon to this day.

Know before you go

1. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is open:

– Monday – Saturday: 08.00 AM – 11.00 AM
– Monday – Saturday: 14.00 PM – 16.00 PM
If you have a chance to take a look inside, then remember to enter the sided gate, which is open every day while the main gate opens only during Sunday Mass. Many tourists visiting Notre Dame Cathedral would like to attend the mass, but do not know the exact mass schedule of the Notre Dame. Please have a look at this schedule, hopefully you will choose the mass frame that match your itinerary
– Weekday Mass: at 05.30 AM and 5.30 PM.
– Sunday Mass: at 05.30 AM; 06.45 AM; 08.00 AM; 09.30 AM; 16.00 PM; 17.30 PM; 18.30 PM. (The Sunday Mass at 9.30 AM is in English)

2. No entrance fee is required to visit this place but we recommend booking Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral tours ahead of time to secure your spot. See all Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral tours on Vietnam Travel.

However, the cathedral is under is undergoing large-scale renovation, the renovation is expected to last for 3 years (6/2017 – end 2020). The church is closed to tourists during this time but remains a site of worship for Vietnamese Catholics every Sunday where a mass is held at 09.30 AM in both Vietnamese and English. You can still admire the scenery or take pictures from the surrounding grounds.

3. Others

– Please dress appropriately and avoid disturbing the worshipers when visiting.
– Don’t use flashlight inside Cathedral.
– From the Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon, you can visit other attractions nearby:
o Central Post Office
o The Independence Palace
o People’s Committee Building
o Ho Chi Minh’s book street
o If you have time, please pass by Diamond Plaza, 30/4 Park and sip a cup of coffee while view the local life and enjoy peaceful moment.  This is most properous part of HCM City and most of cafe or shop in this area is more expensive than the rest of the country.
o You can also try several delicious street foods around the Cathedral area such as: Banh Canh Cua, Banh Xeo, Banh My, Bun Rieu, Bun Mam…

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Quy Nhon city is bordered by beautiful beaches and the surrounding landscape is also breathtaking. Life here also feels much more authentic.

5 reasons to visit Quy Nhon

1. Visit local fishing villages
2. Beach hopping to secluded beaches
3. Snorkel and swim around the islands
4. Explore Champa architecture at Cham temples
5. Enjoy the sunset at Eo Gio

Best time to visit

From March to August it is the dry season, when there is little rain. However, the best months are between January and March, when the worst of the rain is over and when it doesn’t get as hot as during the summer months.

10 best things to do in Quy Nhon

The best things to do in Quy Nhon are mainly the activities you can do on and around the beach. This region has one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. Relax with a book on the beach, visit islands or go snorkeling.

1. Stay overnight in Bai Xep

Although the city of Quy Nhon is already not touristy, staying in Bai Xep is even more fun and authentic. Bai Xep can be found in a small fishing village 12 kilometers from the city center. It started with two hostels that settled in this village right on the beach, but nowadays there are already some more accommodations here, including a luxury resort next door.

Yet you still feel the real authentic atmosphere of the fishing village here. There is not much to do here except to enjoy the beach and take a boat trip to the nearby island where you can snorkel well.

2. Explore beaches

Besides Bai Xep, many more beaches can be found here. One of the best things to do in Quy Nhon is beach hopping, where you drive along the coast and choose beaches along the way to enjoy yourself. 

You don’t necessarily have to get out of town to find beautiful beaches, because Municipal Beach, the main beach along the city’s strip, is already beautiful. The waves are often calm here, making it an ideal place for swimming. There are a number of bars right on the beach where you can enjoy the sunset with a cocktail.

3. Island hopping

There are a number of small islands off the coast of Quy Nhon. Some are so small that you can only sail and snorkel around them. Many resorts can arrange boat trips to these islands, often combined with snorkeling.

The most famous islands where you can go are Ky Co Island and Kho Island. Khy Co is a remote island with a beautiful beach and crystal clear water that is so inviting that you have to go swimming. Kho Island is a good place to see coral reefs. Hon Kho is also a turtle conservation center.

4. Sunset at Eo Gio

One of the other great things to do in Quy Nhon is wathing the beautiful sunset at the ocean. The best place to do this is at Eo Gio. You can of course also visit this place during the day.

Eo Gio, known as the Windy Pass, is a naturally rocky structure in the sea. It is a beautiful landscape of rough cliffs that fall straight into the water and is fun to explore.

5. Dune sliding

Mui Ne isn’t the only place in Vietnam where you can find sand dunes so big it feels like you’ve landed in a desert. The Phuong Mai dunes are huge and can be found next to the beach of Nhon Ly. It is not only a place to take beautiful photos, but you can also enjoy sandboarding of the dunes.

You can combine a visit to these dunes with Hải Nam fishing village. A nice local and authentic village with a nice beach and island in front of it.

6. Cham towers

In the vicinity of Quy Nhon you will also find several Cham Towers. These come from the same era and culture as the temples you find in My Son, near Hoi An. They are not difficult to spot when driving through this area as they are usually on top of a hill. It is a mighty sight to see such an old building on a hill from the distance. There is also a Cham tower on the beach in the town of Quy Nhon. The two most famous Cham towers here are Thap Banh It and Thap Doi.

7. Fishing villages

Quy Nhon feels very authentic and what you should do is explore the local life. Stop in one of the fishing villages to see how the fishermen make a living. When you drive along the coast you will come across dozens of small villages. In the sea in front of the village you can see all the blue fishing boats floating in the distance and on the beach you can see the basket boats that they use to paddle to their boat or to check the nets that are close to shore.

8. Snorkeling

Quy Nhon is one of the best places to go snorkeling in Vietnam. In the first place that the coral around some places are very beautiful and the sea is also a lot calmer; especially at the parts of coast where there are islands in front or in the bays. Unfortunately, Vietnamese are very efficient fishermen, so many large fish have disappeared due to fishing.

It is not a problem if you do not have a snorkel set with you, as these can often be rented at the resorts, hostels and homestays by the sea. Also, usually snorkeling is included during the boat trips to the islands.

9. Countryside of Quy Nhon

When you’ve seen enough beaches and sea, you can visit the rugged countryside. These are places where tourists never come, not even Vietnamese, so expect a very authentic lifestyle. There are many rice fields and villages in the area. You do have to go out with a motorcycle or rent a car with a driver.

10. Eat great food

You’ll find everywhere great food in Vietnam, but in Quy Nhon you should definitely try a few things. Because of the location at the sea you will of course find delicious seafood here. If you don’t like seafood you can try a number of other dishes, such as Ban Xeo (very different from the Ban Xeo you find in the south), cuốn, one of the best fresh spring rolls in the country and bún thịt nướng, one of the best dry noodles.

Best hotels & hostels in Quy Nhon

Where to stay

Bai Xep – A charming place 10 km south of the city, not so long ago what made this just a simple fishing village. It is the favorite place for backpackers to stay in Quy Nhon, but for other travelers this village is more advisable than in the city of Quy Nhon.

Quy Nhon city – Accommodation in the city is spread over a four-kilometer beach. There is enough choice of resorts, hotels and other small to medium sized accommodations, depending on the budget.

Secluded beaches – On more secluded beaches you will find backpacker hostels such as Bai Bau, Bai Rang and Nhon Hai. It doesn’t get much more authentic here.

Best hotels & hostels in Quy Nhon

Budget hotels & hostels

• Life’s A Beach
• Big Tree Backpackers
• John & Paul Inn

Mid range hotel

• Life’s a Beach Apartments
• Seagull Hotel

High end hotel & resort

• AVANI Quy Nhon Resort & Spa

Food & drinking

Restaurants

Quy Nhon a surprisingly good city to eat. The local seafood along the beach are cheap and delicious. And some of the local specialties are also worth seeing. There are numerous small seafood restaurants along the beach north of the large statue of Ho Chi Minh with his father.

Nightlife

The nightlife in Quy Nhon is small but growing. There are no night clubs, but there are places where you can have a drink. Locals often gather around the beach in the evenings to enjoy a cold beer.

In Bai Xep all hotels and hostels have a bar, so you certainly won’t get thirsty. Go to Life’s a Beach Backpackers for wild nights and drinking games.

How to get there

Flights to Quy Nhon

Quy Nhon has an airport. There are daily domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The airport is called Phu Cat and is 30 kilometers from the city of Quy Nhon. A taxi or shuttle bus will take you from the airport to the city.

Buses to Quy Nhon

Quy Nhon is located between Nha Trang and Hoi An. The bus ride from Hoi An takes approximately 9 hours, the bus from Nha Trang 4 hours. There are also direct buses to and from Dalat (8 hours) and Pleiku (3 hours).

Trains to Quy Nhon

Quy Nhon train station is located in Dieu Tri, about 10 kilometers outside the city. From the train station you can take a bus or taxi to Quy Nhon.