Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, Ninh Binh

Visitors can visit Phat Diem Stone Cathedral at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit the cathedral is during Christmas. Because on this occasion, the cathedral organizes many meaningful activities. Besides, you will admire the splendid beauty of the cathedral when it is meticulously decorated.

Ninh Binh city is far from Hanoi about 120 kms. Therefore, you can move to Phat Diem Stone Cathedral from Hanoi by motorbike, car, bus or train.

• Motorbike: From Hanoi, go from Giai Phong Street, enter National Highway 1A. When arriving in Ninh Binh city, move to the south about 30 km to get to Phat Diem Stone Cathedral.
• Car: Follow route Phap Van - Cau Gie - Ninh Binh. The time to go from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by car is about 1 hour.
• Bus: You can take a bus at My Dinh station or Giap Bat station to move to Ninh Binh. The price is about 70,000 - 100,000 VND per seat.

Phat Diem Stone Cathedral is far from Ninh Binh city about 28 kms. So, you can rent a motorbike, take a taxi to get to the cathedral. The price for a taxi journey is about 250,000 - 300,000 VND.

Currently, it is free to enter Phat Diem Stone Cathedral. So visitors can feel pleased to come here from 7.00 am to 5.00 pm.

The architecture of Phat Diem Stone Cathedral in Ninh Binh includes one large church and five small churches, Phuong Dinh (bell tower), Ho Pond, and three artificial caves. Each area has its own beauty that makes visitors always feel curious and want to explore. Here are some of the intriguing attractions that visitors should not miss when visiting Phat Diem Stone Cathedral:

Ho Pond is a 4-hectare rectangle pond which is surrounded by a stone embankment, giving an extremely hard and strong edge. After coming to the main gate, visitors can see Ho Pond first. In the middle of the pond is Jesus' statue on a small oasis.

Phuong Dinh looks like a large temple at 21m wide and 25m high, and with 3 stories. The gate is designed as Tam Quan style, built with jade-color stone in sophisticated technique. On the stone cliff are the reliefs depicting Saints and the birth of Jesus.

The cathedral is the biggest one with 74m long, 21m wide. There are 4 roofs and 5 gates, all are sophisticatedly embossed. The main compartment is a chancel with a big worship altar made of monolithic stone. The front and back of the chancel are sculpted with patterns depicting 4 seasons.

These churches were constructed by natural stones. Their beauty is expressed via relieves and lines depicting lively phoenix and lion. Inside the churches are a number of beautiful reliefs, especially the Chinese embossments of four seasons with 4 featured plants named araucarian, apricot blossom, chrysanthemum and cane.

In the North of Phat Diem Stone Cathedral are 3 stone caves located about 100m apart, made of small and large stone blocks. These stones here keep their natural beauty, giving a unique scene of the caves. On the caves are different big statues.

In order to have a perfect tour of Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, please remember the tips below.

• Do not gather at a crowd, do not talk loudly to prevent from disordering and affect others.
• Wear polite and closed clothes, suitable for sacred places.
• Do not sit down or step on the statues.
• When taking photos, it is necessary to take photos in accordance with fine customs and traditions, without infringing on the relic.
• Do not throw trash away.
• Obey the cathedral administration’s rules.
• You should wear trainers to walk conveniently.
• You can buy some souvenirs or specialties of Ninh Binh land like scorched rice and Kim Son wine in the souvenir shops in Phat Diem Stone Cathedral.
• Coming here, do not forget to take several captures of the Phat Diem tile bridge which was printed on a Vietnam postage stamp.

More than 130 years old and undergoing changes of time, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral has still kept the classic architectural values. Justfly hopes you will have a memorable and meaningful tour in Phat Diem Stone Cathedral.