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in Gothic Revival style, with its imposing square towers, is the foremost Catholic church in northern Vietnam. Located in a small square on the edge of Hoan Kiem district, it anchors one of Hanoi's most touristy streets. French missionaries built the cathedral in the late 19th century after the Nguyen King officially handed Hanoi over to the French. The cathedral was built over the ruins of Bao Thien pagoda, which the French had demolished. The first mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 1886. It is said that nothing has changed since then; even the liturgy has not been modernized since the cathedral was built.
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Asia
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