Photos | Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens five years after fire

French local time on the evening of Dec. 7 (Hong Kong time early morning on Dec. 8), Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony was held in Paris, the French capital. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the ceremony and delivered a speech.

The bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral rang at 7:00 pm (local time) in Paris for the first time since a fire devastated the Paris landmark in 2019.

Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich began the ceremony by knocking three times on the cathedral's door with his staff, called a crozier, which was made from one of the burned beams of the cathedral's roof.

The ceremony to mark the cathedral's return to religious services was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and hundreds of dignitaries, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, first lady Jill Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the U.K.'s Prince William.

In his speech at the ceremony, Macron expressed his gratitude to all those around the world who participated in the rescue and rebuilding of Notre Dame de Paris.

He said the 2019 fires were a devastating blow to Notre Dame, but "the French people chose will and hope," and all walks of life joined together to achieve "the goal of rebuilding Notre Dame even more beautifully in five years." He also thanked donors from all over the world who have contributed to the reconstruction of Notre Dame.

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