After 136 years of construction, Notre Dame Cathedral (HCMC) still has a majestic appearance, but in reality many parts of the church have deteriorated. Most of the tiled roofs of the church's compartments have been damaged.
 |
| Notre Dame Cathedral at Paris Commune Square (District 1) is a must-see attraction for many domestic and foreign tourists when visiting Ho Chi Minh City. This is also one of the typical ancient architectural works of the city. |
 |
| Unlike other churches that are isolated and surrounded by walls, this 93-meter-long, 35-meter-wide, and over 60-meter-high cathedral is located in the middle of a square, surrounded by cars and motorbikes. This religious structure, historical and cultural relic symbol of Saigon is nearly 140 years old. |
 |
| The exterior of the building is made of exposed bricks, but is not covered with moss and dust, and still retains its original color. At first glance, it looks solid, but if you look closely, you can see that many parts of this architectural masterpiece are deteriorating. |
 |
| Currently, most of the tiled roofs of the church have been damaged. The roof edges of the church's back rooms must be covered with brown painted corrugated iron sheets to prevent water from seeping in. One of the roofs was rotten and the church had to temporarily replace it with corrugated iron to avoid danger. Recently, the Department of Culture and Sports submitted a report to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for approval of urgent repairs to the church's tiled roof and some other items. |
 |
| The proposed repair of the church's tiled roof is 91 m long, 35 m wide and 57.3 m high according to the replacement plan, adding western tiles, fish scale tiles, yin-yang tiles according to the original state and rebuilding the roof ridge, ridge, and slope. Looking from below, one can see that the two horizontal roofs on both sides of the church are covered with thousands of western tiles that have broken and drifted away, creating large holes, patched with plastic covers. |
 |
| The four roof edges between the horizontal and vertical roofs were previously covered with new tiles, but now many tiles have been washed away, revealing large gaps in the corrugated iron sheets. The capital to repair the church is mobilized from social sources by the investor, the Archdiocese of Saigon. The project is expected to be completed between 2017 and 2019. |
 |
| The roof of the back room adjacent to Le Duan Street was severely damaged when the wavy yin-yang tiles fell and broke into large pieces near the corner. The church had to be temporarily covered with aluminum and hard plastic panels while waiting for comprehensive repairs. |
 |
| Many fish scale tiles on the low roofs on both sides of the church porch were also blown off and scattered. Some tiles were stacked on the roof edge. |
 |
| The low roof at the back was cracked in long lines, and the two ridges were also cracked and temporarily covered with blue corrugated iron sheets. According to Father Ignatius Ho Van Xuan, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Saigon, nearly 130,000 tiles were severely damaged, further damaging the steel beams and causing the walls to crack and the bricks to rot. |
 |
| Several sections of the aqueduct were also damaged, leaving large holes along the outside of the cathedral. |
 |
| The two tops of the bell tower's roofs are made of rusty gray-white corrugated iron roof tiles, and underneath, many pieces of corrugated iron have fallen off. |
 |
| Some of the small roofs of the top are temporarily patched but can be blown away by the wind at any time, posing a danger to passersby and visitors below. |
 |
| The other tops are temporarily attached with new corrugated iron sheets so they are not aesthetically pleasing. |
 |
| Besides the tiled roofs, many glass windows around the cathedral were also broken but have not been repaired. |
 |
| The bricks were weathered, water seeped in, causing moss to grow and chipped in many places. Along the brick walls on both sides, people with little sense of responsibility painted and signed their names densely. |
 |
| The layers of tiled roof behind are covered with moss and turn black, wild plants grow between the gaps between the layers of bricks and the banks. |
 |
| Many large trees grow lushly on the ridge and roof of the church. Many walls are losing their original color due to dirty water dripping from the gutters. |
According to Zing.vn
