August 1 saw the cathedral’s two 25-meter belfries, the last sections of the building still standing, demolished as workers busily began clearing the building’s foundations.
Constructed in 1885 during French colonialism, Bui Chu Cathedral serves many of the 412,000 Catholics who call the northern province of Nam Dinh home.
It is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in Vietnam, boasting nearly half a century of Catholic history in the country since the first wave of European missionaries arrived in 1533.
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| The last belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral is knocked off in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre |
Decades of use with little maintenance had left the church in a state of disrepair, posing a risk of collapse and raising safety concerns amongst churchgoers.
After years of consideration, it was decided in 2016 by a council of priests and local followers that the current church had to be dismantled to make space for a newer, safer construction.
The last belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral is knocked off in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Video: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre
While the new church will bear striking similarities to the original, only the 17-metric-ton sculpture from the top of the building will be saved and placed in front of the new cathedral.
No other materials or architectural details of the old church will be re-used in the new church.
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| Local children watch the demolition of the two belfries at Bui Chu Cathedral in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre |
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| An excavator destroys a belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre |
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| The last belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral bites the dust in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre |
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| The leftover of a belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral after being knocked from atop the church in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre |
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| A large cloud of dust builds after the last belfry of Bui Chu Cathedral was destroyed in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre |
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| The leftover of Bui Chu Cathedral after its demolition in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre |
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| A 17-metric-ton sculpture remains in the yard of Bui Chu Cathedral in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, August 1, 2020. Photo: Tien Dang / Tuoi Tre |
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