Phu Cam Cathedral, Hue, Vietnam - The Mouth of a Dragon

Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hue, Vietnam

I've been traveling through Hue and Central Vietnam for a while now, and I finally got to visit the Phu Cam Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Hue, and one of the three most important cathedrals in Vietnam (the other two being St. Joseph's in Hanoi and Notre Dame in Saigon).



Phu Cam Cathedral in Hue is a weird modern building, but it's strangely beautiful as its twin spires tower over the sleepy city. The church was build in 1963, and it looks it! The curving brick and stone facade rises in arching twin towers, each topped with a cross. Stained glass windows shoot up along the towers in sharp verticals. It's a beautiful product of its time, and modern enough to be timeless. You can say plenty about Phu Cam Cathedral, but you can't say that it looks too much like every other Catholic church in the world. It's utterly unique.

Like everywhere else in Hue, the cathedral is full of stories to tell.

modern architecture of the Hue Cathedral

The cathedral was designed by famed Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu, who also designed Independence Palace in Saigon. Ngo Viet Thu was a South Vietnamese loyalist and supporter of the pro-Catholic South Vietnamese government.

Construction began on the cathedral in 1960, but was halted soon after when a coup ousted the South Vietnamese president, sending the country into turmoil. Construction was sporadic afterwards, and the cathedral was heavily damaged during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

The cathedral was finally completed on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 28 and 29 June 2000, a sign of stability, peace, and tolerance in modern Vietnam.

The Ministry of Tourism describes the cathedral as looking "like the mouth of a dragon". What do you think?

Phu Cam Cathedral, Hue, Vietnam gardens

Phu Cam Cathedral, Hue - location and how to get there

The Cathedral is located across the river from Hue's Imperial Citadel. It's a bit hard to get to on foot, though not impossible. I recommend taking a taxi.

1 Đoàn Hữu Trưng, Phước Vĩnh, Tp. Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế 530000, Vietnam