Notre-Dame Cathedral Guide

The most striking feature of the Notre-Dame Cathedral is its distinctive pink-red exterior, built entirely from terracotta bricks imported from Marseille, France in the 1870s. Unlike most buildings of the era, the bricks were laid without any plaster or mortar coating, and remarkably they have retained their warm rosy hue for nearly 150 years without fading. The Romanesque-style facade features elaborate stone carvings, arched windows, and decorative crosses that reflect the architectural traditions of southern France. The building was constructed using no local materials whatsoever — every brick, tile, stained glass window, and iron beam was shipped from France. Stand across Paris Commune Square for the best view of the full facade with its symmetrical twin towers rising above the surrounding trees.

Rising 58 meters above the street, the twin bell towers are one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Saigon skyline and were the tallest structures in the city for decades after their completion in 1880. Each tower originally held six bronze bells cast in France — the largest weighing over 8,500 kg — that could be heard across the entire city when rung. The towers are capped with distinctive iron spires that were added in 1895, fifteen years after the original construction. While the towers are currently closed to visitors during the ongoing renovation, they remain impressive from street level and are particularly photogenic when lit up at dusk. The bells no longer ring regularly but are sometimes sounded on major Catholic holidays.

Directly adjacent to the cathedral, the Saigon Central Post Office is a magnificent French colonial building designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) and completed in 1891. The interior features a soaring vaulted ceiling with intricate iron framework, beautiful hand-painted wall maps of Saigon and Indochina from the colonial era, vintage wooden telephone booths, and a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh above the service counters. The post office is still fully operational — you can buy stamps and mail postcards home from this architectural landmark. The building is free to enter and takes 15-20 minutes to explore. Combined with the cathedral, the two buildings create the most photographed French colonial ensemble in all of Vietnam.

The cathedral faces Paris Commune Square (Cong Xa Paris), a pleasant tree-shaded plaza that serves as one of Saigon's most popular gathering spots. In the center of the square stands a 4.6-meter statue of the Virgin Mary, placed in 1959. In 2005, the statue was reported to have shed tears, drawing enormous crowds of pilgrims — the event remains a topic of local fascination. The square is a wonderful place to sit on a bench under the tamarind trees, watch the motorbikes stream past, and take in the cathedral from multiple angles. On weekends and evenings, the square fills with local families, street food vendors, and young people posing for photographs. The contrast of the 19th-century cathedral against the modern Saigon skyline behind it makes for compelling photographs.