Phu Cam Main Cathedral  located on Phuoc Qua hill, in Phuoc Vinh ward, Hue city. Around the 17 th century, Phu Cam located on the banks of the An Cuu River, and it was also the residence for the sons of the Nguyen Lords. In the Nguyen dynasty, this place continued to be the Palace of many Nguyen dynasties royal.

The map of Phu Cam Cathedral in Hue city

The history of this Cathedral began in 1682s. Under the Nguyen Lords with the starting point is only a bamboo chapel that was built by Priest Langlois. After many changes, in 1898, Phu Cam was rebuilt according to Western classical architecture by Bishop Eugène Marie Allys. And the construction completed in 1902.

When Hue Diocese upgraded to the archdiocese in 1960, the archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc constructed the new church under the design of architect Ngo Viet Thu. In 1963, the church officially started construction. However, because of continuous political events, the work delayed. Then, in 2000, after 37 years, Phu Cam officially completed.

Despite the modern construction, Phu Cam Cathedral’s architecture still bears the influence and lines of a Western church. It has a construction site in the form of the cross and Catholic motifs decoration. However, this church owns the philosophy of “Eastern Feng Shui” which is also the feature in the design of architect Ngo Viet Thu.

The highlight of this Cathedral is the facade with two bell towers reaching up to the sky like an opened Bible. But at the same time, it also has the appearance of a dragon head with its opened mouth. Although it was built with rough stone materials, thanks to the balance in proportions and lines that made the front of Phu Cam become to be extremely soft and elegant.

The heart of the church has a capacity nearly of 2,500 people. The parabolic support arches cover the heart, create a modern feel but still remind the classic architecture of Western churches. Two rows of glass windows on both sides keep the church always full of light.

The sanctuary sets up high up gradually, with a 3-step circle background symbolizing Heaven – Earth – Human in the middle. Above, the Holy table is carved from monolithic marble by artisans of Non Nuoc stone village in Da Nang. The crucifix is created from a pine tree taken from the Thien An hill, in the southwest mountainous area of Hue city.

In short, the Cathedral is one of the Catholicism architectural masterpieces with the record setting time in the history of church construction in Vietnam. This work is also one of the highlights in the career of architect Ngo Viet Thu. Nowadays, it is a familiar destination not only for Christians but also for tourists visiting Hue. With a special beauty, Phu Cam has contributed to adorn for Hue ancient city to become more modern and unique.

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