Phat Diem Cathedral is situated in Ninh Binh Province, 130 km south of Hanoi. It was built between 1875 and 1899 of stone and wood in traditional Vietnamese temple architecture which cross between Vietnam and Europe. Phat Diem Cathedral is the center of Catholicism in North Vietnam and also a tourist site attracting local and international visitors.
The main building is 74 meters long, 21 meters wide and 11 meters high. There are 4 roofs and 6 sets of iron wooden pillars and consists of a network of lakes, ponds, churches, and artificial caves.
A large bell cast in the 1890s weighing nearly 2 tons is housed in the bell tower.