Until the end of the Nguyen Dynasty, some parts of the pagoda were destroyed to become a market and after the French Colonist came to Hanoi, they demolished completely the pagoda to build the church

During the French Colonial period, Catholicism was propagated widely, and St Joseph’s Cathedral became the center of Catholicism in North Vietnam

Construction began in 1884, with the architectural style described as resembling Notre Dame de Paris

After the retreat of French Colonists from the North of Vietnam in 1954, the cathedral was closed and under the control of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Government.

The main interior part is decorated in Vietnamese way with two typical colors yellow and red

The center of the square in front of the church is the St Mary of the Metal Hall, surrounded by flower baskets, palanquins, and a rocky cave behind it to enhance the landscape.

Though the appearance of the cathedral, from the doors, the colorful window glass, to the religious paintings for decoration follows Western style

It is 64.5m in length, 20.5m in width with two bell towers of 31.5m-height.

On the top is a stone cross. In front of the church, there is a statue of Mother Maria made of copper and around are decorated with iron fences, flowers, and trees.

The exterior walls of the church were made of brick and plastered. After a long time, the fierce fights and the time left historical marks on them.

It has a length of 64,5 meters, a width of 20,5 meters. The facade consists of two square bell towers with a height of 31,5 meters and a big clock

40 Nha Chung, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

St Joseph’s Cathedral is in the center of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake, only 5 – 10 minutes’ walk from the statue of King Ly Thai To.