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 on Saturday sent a new satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country's southwestern Sichuan Province.

The satellite, Fengyun-4 03, was launched by a Long March-3B rocket at 12:07 a.m. (Beijing Time) and has entered its planned orbit.

This was the 621st flight mission of the Long March rocket series.

China launches Fengyun-4 03 satellite