Top 11 Famous Churches in Ho Chi Minh City

Constructed from 1863 to 1880 by the French colonists, the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica in Saigon is the most impressive church in Vietnam. Built following the model of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and with materials transported from France, it is the religious center of 6.2 million Vietnamese Catholics.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica - Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral has had various names over the years. It was first established in 1863 as Saigon Church, built by the French colonists shortly after the French invasion and the start of the colonization of Saigon. Saigon Church was a simple wooden structure, heavily damaged by termites and had to be rebuilt.

A design competition was held, which was won by French architect Jules Bourard, an expert in religious architecture. His plan was similar to that of the French: to build a smaller version of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, reflecting the form of the famous church in Romanesque and Gothic styles of France.Bishop Isidore Colombert laid the first stone in October 1877, and the completion ceremony was held in April 1880. Most of the materials used to build the church were imported from France, including bricks from Toulouse giving the church its characteristic red color, as seen today.

In 1959, a statue of Our Lady of Peace was installed outside the church, made of Granite stone from Rome. After the statue installation, Saigon Church came to be known as Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. In 1960, it was officially named Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, two years later it was anointed by Pope John XXIII, attaining the title Basilica and its current title as Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.

The last time the church attracted international media attention was in October 2005. According to enthusiastic witnesses, the statue of the Virgin Mary outside the church had a teardrop flowing down her right cheek, staining her face made of Granite stone, which attracted thousands of people to witness this miracle. Traffic around the church temporarily stopped, and the police were called to maintain order. The stain persisted for over a week, and hundreds of people from all over the country came to see it every day. However, the Catholic Church of Vietnam could not confirm whether the statue of the Virgin Mary had actually shed tears or not.

With its vibrant pink color and crafted in the Romanian architectural style, Tan Dinh Church, also known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, was built in 1876 during the French colonial period. As part of French Indochina, Vietnam endured turbulent periods in its history, and Tan Dinh Church stood through it all. It's regarded as one of the largest churches in Ho Chi Minh City, with two bell towers soaring approximately 60 meters high. Situated on Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3, the church belongs to the Catholic Archdiocese.

Tan Dinh Church is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Ho Chi Minh City with a fusion of Gothic, Roman, and Baroque designs. Its vibrant pink color, adorned with white details, was first applied in 1957.

The history of Tan Dinh Church dates back to 1874 when a Catholic mission was established under the guidance of Father Donatien Éveillard, who supervised the construction of the first church, consecrated in December 1876. Father Éveillard also invited the Sisters of Saint-Paul de Chartres to establish an orphanage and boarding school adjacent to the church. Sainte Enfance de Tan-Dinh, or École de Tan-Dinh, opened in 1877 and, by the early 1880s, accommodated around 300 children. Perhaps Father Éveillard's greatest achievement was the establishment of a religious publishing house called Imprimerie de la Mission in Tan Dinh, where he trained underprivileged children from Sainte Enfance de Tan-Dinh to engage in publishing. By the early 1890s, the church and the original school buildings were no longer suitable for their purposes, so Father Louis-Eugène Louvet (1838-1900), Éveillard's successor, organized a lottery to raise funds for reconstruction.

The majority of the current Tan Dinh Church area dates from 1896-1898 when this reconstruction took place, costing 8,600 piastres. The architecture comprises a central nave with a high barrel vault (now concealed by a false ceiling), divided by aisles with galleries and corridors on the outside. The design also incorporates an upper display room with a vaulted or clerestory roof and two pyramid-shaped spire prayer houses protruding from either side of the central nave, near the entrance. Saint statues and 14 Stations of the Cross currently adorn the outer column bases dating back to the 1890s.

The history of Chợ Quán Parish is closely linked to the Nguyen Lords' expansion into the South. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many Catholics, especially from Central Vietnam, migrated to this area to seek new livelihoods in the South or to escape war, conflict, and famine, settling in a village called Xóm Bột. Here, they established a market with many stalls serving the local residents' daily lives. The market was named Chợ Quán, later used to refer to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Chợ Quán Parish was officially established in 1722. At that time, many priests came here to shepherd the faithful, from the Franciscan Order to Vietnamese missionaries. By 1725, the parish had around 300 parishioners. Missionaries faced many difficulties in evangelization due to social conflicts and the anti-Catholic policies of the government at that time.

The first chapel of Chợ Quán Parish was built in 1674, but it was not until 1723 that Father Emmanuel Quitaon of the Franciscan Order came to preach and converted the chapel into a church for the parishioners. Subsequently, due to natural disasters and human destruction, Quan Church was demolished and rebuilt several times in 1727, 1733, 1793, 1862, and 1882.

In 1882, Father Nicola Hamm began constructing a new church. This project lasted 14 years, spanning 6 generations of priests, and was completed in 1896. The new church was consecrated on the 4th day of the lunar year Bính Thân (1896). This is also the final church building we can see today. To commemorate Father Nicola Hamm's contributions to church construction, after his passing, he was buried at Quan Church, next to the Virgin Mary's altar.

With a total area of 16,922m2, the Chợ Quán Parish complex not only includes the church but also many related facilities such as public elementary schools, charity houses, and lush green gardens. Currently, Quan Church houses a charity clinic managed by the Red Cross of District 5. Additionally, this place serves as a community gathering space for local residents to engage in activities like morning walks, group exercises, or simply enjoy the fresh air in the church's front garden. The church building consists of a central nave, bell tower, 12 catechism rooms, meeting rooms, mortuary halls, and reading rooms. All are harmoniously arranged, creating a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere for parishioners and visitors alike.

The most notable feature outside the church is undoubtedly the bell tower, visible from a distance. The bell tower of Quan Church is quite different from other bell towers in Catholic constructions. It consists of three tiers, from bottom to top: the bell-pulling tier, bell tower tier, and the top tier. Inside the tower are 5 bells: 2 for regular days, 2 for special occasions, and 1 for funerals. Only on special feast days do all 5 bells ring together. Another interesting fact about the bells is that they were transported from France by sea and moved to the tower with the help of 5 elephants. Over the church's history of more than 100 years, the bell tower has been repaired three times.

The interior colors of Quan Church blend white vaulted ceilings, bright yellow columns, and brown furniture. The church's windows are not the colorful stained-glass windows seen in most nearby Catholic churches. Instead, they are glass windows with horizontal mullions that allow maximum natural light inside. All details are harmoniously combined to create a solemn and dazzling beauty.

Widely renowned as one of the most beautiful churches in the city, District Official Church in District 1 was built from 1902 to 1905 at the corner of Frère Louis Street (now Nguyen Trai Street) and Frère Guilleraut Street (now Ton That Tung Street). Designed by Father Charles Boutier (1845-1927), a prominent architect who previously designed Thu Duc Church and redesigned the complex of École de Sainte-Enfance by the Saint Paul de Chartres Sisters after the original wooden buildings were damaged by termites.

The church was constructed with the assistance of District Official (1841-1900, real name Philippe Le Phat Dat), who in the 19th century was part of the saying 'First Official, Second Phuong, Third Xuong, Fourth Hoa' - as they were the wealthiest in the southern region. District Official also funded the construction of churches in Chi Hoa and Thu Duc. Meanwhile, his son - Denis Le Phat An, later built a distinctive Byzantine church in Hanh Thong Tay.

Born in Cau Kho (Saigon) into a Catholic family from Tan An (Long An), District Official was sent to Pinang (Malaysia) for priesthood studies, where he learned Latin, French, Chinese, and Quoc Ngu (Vietnamese written in Latin script). Upon returning to Saigon, the French authorities appointed him as a government spokesperson, and in 1880, he was honored to become a member of the Southern Colonies Council, which allowed him to acquire vast lands that contributed to his wealth.

District Official's rise to prominence was such that his granddaughter, Maria-Therese Nguyen Huu Thi Lan, later became Queen Nam Phuong, the first wife and queen consort of King Bao Dai. Together with his wife Huynh Thi Tai (1845-1920), District Official donated a significant portion of the family's fortune to build the church and also contributed land. Sometimes referred to as Chợ Dui Church (because it is located in the Chợ Dui parish), District Official Church

In front of the church is a statue of Saint Matthew Le Van Gam (Le Van Boi, 1813-1847), a Vietnamese priest and merchant from Bien Hoa province who was arrested and executed in the Chợ Dui area under the Nguyen dynasty's order. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, and an annual memorial festival is held at the church on May 11, the day he was executed. The compound also features several other altars, including statues of Saint Joseph and the Mountain of Our Lady, built in 1960. A recent addition is a peaceful prayer house.

The church itself has undergone multiple renovations, most recently in 2007-2009. It measures 40m in length, 18m in width, built of bricks with granite columns and decorations from Bien Hoa stone. Above the porch is a 57m tall bell tower. A statue of St. Philip stands at the main entrance.

The church's design follows Gothic style with Romanesque decorative elements and includes a vaulted central nave with vaulted aisles, adorned in green and white. The windows are adorned with stained glass depictions of biblical stories from Italy. Along the two walls are statues of saints from the Bible and Vietnam alongside 14 Stations of the Cross. At the transept are small chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. There is a high altar made of marble adorned with intricate gold leaf work and finely carved bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible, including the Last Supper and the Annunciation.

District Official passed away in 1900 before the church's completion. When his wife Huynh Thi Tai died in 1920, he was reburied with her in the memorial prayer house immediately behind the statue. Carved meticulously from the finest marble, the couple's graves have life-size effigies. Their half-length statues are also mounted on the wall.

The bell tower houses 4 bells cast in France in 1905. It is unclear who donated the 2 smaller bells (0.95m in diameter). However, the two largest bells (1.05m in diameter) were donated by one of District Official's sons, Jean Baptiste Le Phat Thanh, and his wife Anna Do Thi Thao. To honor their contributions to District Official Church, their half-length statues are also displayed in the memorial prayer house behind the statue.

Church of Father Tam (officially known as the Church of Saint Francisco Xavier) is an ancient church built in 1900 and completed in 1902. Located in the Chinese neighborhood in Ho Chi Minh City, this is perhaps the only church decorated similarly to Chinese temples.

Church of Father Tam is a perfect blend of Gothic architecture (Western) and Chinese architecture (Eastern). Former President of the Republic of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu sought refuge in a Chinese businessman's house one night, prayed in Father Tam's church the next day before they were overthrown in the military coup in 1963.

In 1866, Admiral Lagrandiere, then Governor of Nam Ky, visited the church and found it too old and small. The Chinese and Vietnamese Catholics in areas without enough space for prayer or worship were dwindling in number, so Admiral Lagrandiere ordered the Public Works Department to use public funds to build a church. With the support of the authorities, Bishop Despierre sent Father Pierre d'Assou (or Dam A To, also known as Father Tam in Vietnamese) proficient in Chinese to Saigon China Town to build a new church and develop it.

Because there were some Chinese literati, Father Tam asked other Chinese people who were not literati to contribute. There wasn't enough money to build the church. He went to meet the Abbots, Masters of 32 Pagodas, and called for their support. He succeeded and received enough money to build the new church and equip it.

On December 3, 1900, also the feast day of Saint Francisco Xavier, Bishop Mossard of the Saigon Archdiocese performed the ceremony to lay the first stone of the church. Thus, the church was named after Saint Francisco Xavier. After two years, on January 10, 1902, the inauguration ceremony was solemnly held, managed by Father Pierre d'Assou (commonly known as Father Tam) who supervised the construction of the church and was also the first parish priest, so people often refer to the church as Father Tam's Church. After that, Father Tam also built orphanages, orphanages, and rented houses. In 1934, Father Tam passed away and was buried near the church gate. In 1990, the church bell tower was renovated and the altar of Jesus Christ was renewed.

Father Tam's church has been renovated several times. On January 2, 2000, Archbishop John the Baptist presided over the inauguration of a 3-story meeting house with 8 classrooms and a hall with a capacity of 400 people.

Assistant Archbishop John the Baptist Huynh Tinh Huong independently studied the design of Father Tam's Church. In general, the church is designed and built in Gothic style. Father Tam's Church resembles ancient European churches, but it is also inspired by traditional Chinese architecture. The name of the church is written in Chinese and there are many couplets and Chinese sayings around, especially on the main gate. The tiled roof is decorated with yin and yang, with the image of two carp fish. On the altar top, there is a lotus flower decoration. The four pillars in the main sanctuary are painted red, which is not found in Catholic churches.

Church of Saint Jeanne d'Arc, commonly known as Six-way Church, is a Catholic church in Ho Chi Minh City. The church was built from 1922 and completed in May 1928, named after Saint Jeanne d'Arc with Romanesque architectural style.

Before 1865, the Chinese-origin community in Saigon was sparse, without their own church. In 1865, the Chinese community became more populous, and Father Philippe from China to Cho Lon built a church on Phung Hung Street. The church was named after the Archangel Michael.

In 1919, Father John the Baptist Huynh Tinh Huong took over the management of the Michael church. Because the church was deteriorating and heavily damaged, he decided to choose a larger location to build a new church named Jeanne d'Arc. Later, when the cemetery was evacuated, the three roads Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Chi Thanh intersected around the church like a six-petal flower, so people often call it 'Six-way Church'.

In 1989, Father Anthony Huynh Thu Hon took over, he decided to bring the statue up and place it in the sanctuary, painting it red where the fire burned under the feet of Jeanne d'Arc.

By 2005, Father Philippe Tran Tan Binh from Tay Ninh visited the church and expressed his desire to donate a new statue of Saint Jeanne d'Arc. The new statue of Saint Jeanne d'Arc wears armor, holding a flag in one hand and a sword in the other. Father Hon decided to place the new statue in the sanctuary and bring the old statue back to the parish.

Six-way Church has a large bell tower in the middle, two small towers on either side are hollow inside, all three towers have sharp tiled roofs painted green pointing to the sky like arrows. The base of the tower where the main entrance is located is clad in black stone with large serrated edges at the corners, creating a very powerful feeling. The main facade balances between the vertical direction of the columns and the high windows is horizontal ventilation lam.

The interior uses a light yellow hue, harmonizing colors between details, decorative patterns, creating a bright and airy feel for the structure. The sanctuary is placed at the end of the main space, on a high podium at the top is the altar, the altar of the Lord; on both sides are statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph on two columns.

Church of Ky Dong (Other name: Congregation of the Savior, Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help). Built from 1949 and completed in 1952. The structure impresses with triangular blocks, crescent-shaped door arches, especially the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - the patron saint of the church. Inside is simple yet still exudes solemnity. The grounds have caves and a miniature landscape of Saint Alphonso, the founder of the Congregation of the Savior. This place is considered a peaceful and sacred place.

The World Savior Society came to Vietnam in 1925 and the Congregation of the Savior Saigon was established in 1933. The mission of the Society is to preach the Gospel to the poor, promote devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and hold Happiness Weeks. The first house chosen as the Holy Savior Congregation monastery was a building at 163 Paul Blanchy Street (now Hai Ba Trung Street), near Tan Dinh Church.

It was donated by a morally upright woman. In 1937, the Congregation purchased a 2-hectare plot of land in District 3 that had been liquidated by the Indochina Bank to build a new monastery. Construction began in 1938, and by 1940 it was completed and operational. Later, the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established next to the Monastery. Because the number of people coming to Our Lady was increasing, the priests thought about building a new, more magnificent church. The new church (the church that exists to this day) was built in 1949 and inaugurated on August 3, 1952. Father Beliemare (1946 - 1953) was the one who initiated the construction and inauguration of this church. The cost of the building was 5,000,000 (five million) Indochinese piastres under French rule.

After 30 years in Saigon, in 1963, Ky Dong Church - Congregation of the Savior established a parish named Our Lady of Perpetual Help and organized the Center for Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish is considered a parish later than other parishes in the Diocese of Saigon.

The Church of Hanh Thong Tay Parish is a Roman Catholic church built in the Byzantine style in 1921, featuring a bell tower and magnificent frescoes. The church was constructed on a 560 square meter area, standing at a height of 20 meters. Initially, the bell tower had a pointed shape, but due to the frequent military aircraft flying over the region, the Indochina Airbase requested Bishop J. Cassaigne to lower the bell tower of Hanh Thong Tay Church according to a letter dated October 29, 1953. Since then, the bell tower has had a square shape as it stands today.

The Dominican Parish - Three Bells is a prominent Catholic church with green stained-glass windows and a roof resembling traditional pagoda architecture. Founded by priests in 1957, Dominican Parish - Three Bells Cathedral is built in a blend of Eastern and Vietnamese cultural styles. It embodies the appearance of a Vietnamese village shrine: square shape, curved roof, while also adopting modern architectural elements: reinforced concrete, brick walls with stone veneer.