Phat Diem Stone Cathedral is a harmonious and unique combination of Eastern and Western architectural art, attracting tourists from near and far when coming to Ninh Binh.
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| Phat Diem Stone Church is one of the national historical and cultural relics in Ninh Binh. (Source: To Quoc) |
Phat Diem Stone Church is considered the most beautiful Catholic church complex in Vietnam. The building is located on an area of 22 hectares in Phat Diem town, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province.
Phat Diem Stone Church was built in the late 19th century by Phat Diem Parish Priest Peter Tran Luc (aka Mr. Sau) - who was appointed as Phat Diem Parish Priest in 1865 after many years of research, completing blueprints and concentrating financial and material resources.
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| Phat Diem Cathedral complex includes a large church and 5 small churches, including one built entirely of natural stone, called the stone church; a bell tower; a pond and 3 artificial caves. (Source: To Quoc) |
The church is made mainly of stone and wood. Each stone and wood slab is in full bloom with intricate carvings. Most notable is the extremely soft and supple stone carvings, with some pieces of stone only 3.5cm thick.
The entire architectural complex consists of 9 trusses with 9 different stages of construction, so each truss has its own unique culture, expressing the rich aesthetic sense of skilled craftsmen.
Furthermore, the church was built entirely of stone without the need for a reinforced concrete core. The most difficult part of this project was the foundation. Because Kim Son is a swampy alluvial land, Parish Priest Peter Tran Luc had to quarry and transport thousands of tons of stone from a mountain in Thanh Hoa to prevent subsidence, including blocks of stone weighing up to 20 tons. At the same time, Mr. Luc also quarried and transported hundreds of ironwood trees from the mountains of Nghe An to build the project.
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| Phuong Dinh consists of 3 floors built with large stone slabs, with a three-door structure commonly seen in Vietnamese architecture. (Source: To Quoc) |
However, what makes cultural researchers and architects fascinated in Phat Diem Cathedral complex is the harmonious combination of Eastern temple architecture with Western Gothic architecture. Mr. Sau is the one who designed and created the church with extremely novel details. It is also possible that because he was not a Catholic but a Buddhist, in his design, he skillfully combined Western church architecture with curved roof architecture like the roof of a Buddhist temple.
The artistic quintessence of Phat Diem stone church also clearly shows the harmony between Vietnamese stone carving and wood carving art such as the cross symbol (symbol of Catholicism) sitting on a lotus pedestal (symbol of Buddhism), the Buddhist "swastika" carved on several rosary flowers, the stone and wood reliefs carved with images of Jesus and the saints; in which the saints are dressed in Vietnamese style, looking so lively yet close and familiar like looking at folk paintings; the stone pillars carved with lotus flowers represent the stages of "birth - aging - sickness - death" according to Buddhist philosophy.
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| The cathedral was started in 1891 with the official name of Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Inside the cathedral, there are 52 supporting columns, arranged in 6 rows, dividing the church space into 9 compartments. (Source: To Quoc) |
Even more impressive is the Church of the Heart of Mary, built entirely of stone, with a resplendent gilded sanctuary with many delicate and elaborate carvings and patterns, but still creating a gentle and peaceful feeling thanks to its simple and familiar design according to the Eastern principle of Divination: "round sky, square earth". There is also a Bible verse carved into stone in early Vietnamese.
It can be said that Phat Diem Stone Church Complex is the intersection, the harmonious and delicate combination of Western church architecture and traditional Eastern architecture. Catholicism brings faith to people, but the architectural style and worship space are imbued with the image of communal houses and pagodas that have been deeply ingrained in the subconscious of Asians in general and Vietnamese people in particular, creating peace and protection. This is also a symbol of the meeting between Catholicism and the traditional beliefs of the Vietnamese people from a very early age.
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| This church was started to be built in 1883 with the original name of Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The church is made entirely of stone, from the foundation, walls, columns, door bars with very vivid decorative reliefs... (Source: Fatherland) |
After more than 130 years of existence, despite being affected by many natural disasters and wars, the structure has remained intact to this day. The architectural complex of Phat Diem Cathedral was ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1988.
Ninh Binh province and relevant agencies are completing the dossier to request UNESCO to recognize Phat Diem church as a world cultural heritage. Phat Diem stone church is not only a place for parishioners to pray but also a famous tourist destination of Ninh Binh province. Every year, Phat Diem stone church attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists to visit and explore.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/kham-pha-viet-nam-kien-truc-doc-da-o-nha-tho-da-phat-diem-ninh-binh-287581.html
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