Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace

A statue of the Virgin Mary with the Child stands on a small square in front of St Joseph's Cathedral, the main Catholic church of Hanoi. The white figure is sheltered by a stone canopy on slender columns, and the dedication refers to the Marian title of Queen of Peace, Regina Pacis. The cathedral behind her was built by the French in 1884–1886 and consecrated on Christmas Eve; Notre-Dame in Paris was taken as the model, hence the two square towers about thirty-two metres high, the pointed arches and the stained glass. It was raised on the site of the demolished Bao Thien pagoda, one of the main Buddhist shrines of the Ly and Tran eras. The facade has not been touched up for a long time and is covered in grey streaks, so the white figure reads against it from far off. The square in front of the cathedral serves the city as a living room: in the evenings people sit here with tea on low stools right by the pavement.

The cathedral is in use, entry is free during service hours, and visitors are admitted in modest clothing. It stands a couple of steps from Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter, and in the evening the square in front of it turns into a popular spot for tea on low stools. It is convenient to see in passing while walking around the centre.

Address

Ly Quoc Su Street, Hà Nội

On the map