Hanoi churches glow at night as city counts down to Christmas
Hanoi’s churches light up the night ahead of Christmas, attracting crowds with festive decorations and sacred spaces.
THE HANOI TIMES — Reporters from The Hanoi Times captured vivid nighttime scenes at churches across Hanoi as the city enters the final countdown to Christmas.
Hanoi Cathedral remains one of the capital’s most popular holiday destinations, drawing large numbers of residents and visitors each Christmas season. Photos: Ngoc Tu/The Hanoi Times.
This year, the cathedral presents a refreshed look, clearly different from its usual appearance. Shimmering multicolored lights now illuminate the historic façade, signaling the arrival of the Christmas season.
The glowing cathedral continues to attract crowds of young people, who gather each evening to admire the decorations and capture festive moments.
Photos taken on December 23 show Thai Ha Church filled with the same lively holiday spirit.
Inside Thai Ha Church, hundreds of strings of decorative lights create a bright and eye-catching scene.
Alongside the lights and towering Christmas tree, Catholic slogans and messages appear throughout the church grounds, adding depth to the seasonal atmosphere.
A large Christmas tree installed behind the church, illuminated with colorful lights, has become one of the area’s most striking visual highlights.
Many young people arrived early to admire the decorations and take photos. For Lan Anh and Thu Trang, students at the Hanoi College of Education, the church is well known among Catholics and features a new decorative theme each year.
“We came early to capture moments that happen only once a year. This year, Thai Ha Church looks especially beautiful, and everyone keeps talking about how impressive it is,” they said.
Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ have appeared at churches across the city. In Catholic tradition, the night of December 24 marks the birth of Jesus in a cave, where He lay in a manger surrounded by shepherds and their flocks on a cold winter night.
At Thai Ha Church, the decorations sit mainly inside the church and use wood as the primary material, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere.
Catholics believe this period offers time for worshippers to visit churches, confess and pray in preparation for Christmas.
Meanwhile, Ham Long Church also shines with festive lights, filling nearby streets with Christmas cheer.
Inside the church, a quiet and sacred mood prevails as many people gather in prayer.
