In addition to the cathedral itself, the Phát Diệm complex consists of five chapels, three grottoes, a memorial house, and the recently built pastoral center of the diocese.

The cathedral is located in Phát Diệm township of Kim Sơn District in Ninh Bình Province.

[3][4] Phát Diệm Cathedral was built by the priest Father Trần Lục (Père Six in French, or cụ Sáu in Vietnamese).

[9] Père Six, who built it, was particular to haul the sand stones to build the cathedral from quarry a distance of more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) away.

[10] The nave of the cathedral is built over 52 pillars, of which 16 are 11-metre tall (36 ft), carved from large ironwood trees.

[1][4] The interior walls are decorated with Catholic iconography, but particularly have paintings of Eastern religious symbols like dragons, unicorns, tortoises and phoenixes.

The earth from the ramp, which was used for hauling the bell and other metal objects, was spread around the cathedral, rising the height of the ground by 1 metre (3 ft 3 in).