Notre-Dame Cathedral towers reopen after six-year closure

The iconic towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, reopened to the public Saturday, six years after a fire gutted parts of the historic landmark and forced their closure.

The move follows the partial reopening of the cathedral's main structure in December and marks a major milestone in France's high-profile restoration effort.

The towers, which have been closed since the April 15, 2019 blaze, have undergone extensive restoration. The original stone staircases leading up to the towers have been replaced with new wooden ones.

Inside the bell tower, the massive Emmanuel bell - weighing 13 tonnes and cast in the 17th century - once again hangs in its place. Though spared by the fire, the wooden beams that supported it were destroyed and have now been rebuilt. The sound of the bell now resonates once more, evoking the literary depictions of Victor Hugo in his classic novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".

Another significant part of the restoration was the reconstruction of the cathedral's famed wooden roof structure, known as "the forest" because of its timber framework. Completely consumed by flames in 2019, it has now been rebuilt using over 1,200 oak trees, articulating the precision, artistry, and complexity of the restoration effort.

Notre-Dame's rebirth is being hailed as a symbol of resilience and as a valuable case study in heritage preservation and restoration for the world.

"Looking at the cathedral, it's really nice to see it rebuilt after after the fire. I'm looking forward to going inside, we're going inside soon and I would love to visit the tower and go up there, that would be amazing," said a tourist.

Notre-Dame Cathedral towers reopen after six-year closure

Notre-Dame Cathedral towers reopen after six-year closure

Notre-Dame Cathedral towers reopen after six-year closure

Notre-Dame Cathedral towers reopen after six-year closure

China urged Japan to retract the the erroneous remarks made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi if the country hopes to enhance ties with China, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Lin made the remarks in response to a media query after Takaichi said on Monday that she was open to dialogue with China.

"China has repeatedly made clear its solemn position on the relevant issue. Genuine dialogue must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and adherence to consensus. Talking about dialogue while practicing confrontation is not the dialogue that anyone would accept," he said.

"If the Japanese side truly expects to develop a strategic and mutually beneficial relation with China, the path is simple and clear: It should retract Takaichi's erroneous remarks related to Taiwan, abide by the four political documents between China and Japan as well as the political commitments made by Japan, and demonstrate its sincerity toward dialogue through concrete actions," said the spokesman.

Japan should withdraw erroneous remarks to develop ties with China: spokesman