Located west of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, in a small square within the Old Quarter of Hanoi, St. Joseph's Cathedral is a late 19th-century Gothic Revival church (resembling Notre Dame de Paris), that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi to nearly 4 million Catholics in the country. Construction was completed in 1886, a year before the federation of French Indochina was established as part of its colonial empire.
Built with stone slabs and in brick with concrete facing, the façade consists of two towers, square in shape, rising to a height of 31m and each tower fitted with five bells. Over the years, the cathedral's exterior has become severely worn down due to heavy pollution. Windows are fitted with tall stained glass and have pointed arches. The stained glass windows were produced in France. In front of the cathedral can be seen three young women in traditional clothes: the silk tunic (áo dài) worn over pantaloons, and the standard conical nón lá.
About the stamps
The stamp is the one of Vietnam realised to mark the 48th Anniversary of ASEAN. About the stamps issued jointly by all the member countries, using a common design, I wrote here.
References
St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi - Wikipedia
Sender: Do Xuan Manh (direct swap)
Sent from Hanoi (Red River Delta / Vietnam), on 16.07.2017
Photo: Lai Dien Dam
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