Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

About

Built between 1863 and 1880, the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is Vietnam’s largest and most impressive cathedral. The French colonists styled it after Notre Dame in Paris, even going so far as to import construction materials from France - the distinctive red bricks, for example, were shipped from Toulouse. In 2005 the Cathedral was brought to the world’s attention, when, according to witnesses, the statue of the Virgin Mary began to cry, leaving a stain on her stony visage for a week. Today, the cathedral is undergoing renovations, though visitors can still clearly see the main facade, and the church still holds mass on Sundays at 9:30 AM.