Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City shines bright for Christmas

Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral lit up for Christmas
For about a week now, the campus in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in District 1 has been decorated with 500-meter-long golden strings of lights covering the scaffolding of its two bell towers, which are currently under restoration.

This is the first time the church has been brightly decorated for Christmas since renovations began in 2017.

Originally built by French colonists between 1863 and 1880 and named the Church of Saigon, it has been known as Notre-Dame Cathedral since 1959.

The major restoration project for the cathedral began on July 1, 2017, and is being carried out by the Belgian contractor Group Monument.

The two 58-meter-high bell towers and zinc spires have suffered the most damage during the cathedral’s long history.

The restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral has been underway for seven years.