Most Beautiful Churches in Beijing (2) -Wangfujing Catholic (St. Joseph) Church

By Alice WangOctober 4th, 2016

Of the many architectural and historic attractions in Beijing, the city's Christian churches may not be on the regular tourist agenda, but they are well worth a tour.

Christianity was first introduced into China the 7th century. The first Protestant missionaries came in 1807. The efforts of Western missionaries to spread Christianity in China reached a peak at the dawn of the 20th Century and were concurrent with incursions by the imperialist powers which semi-colonized parts of the country. Many Christian institutions established beachheads throughout China, building churches, schools and other institutions. Most Beijing churches were built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and have been refurbished many times.

The following are the seven major churches in Beijing:

(2) Wangfujing Catholic (St. Joseph) Church

 

Located at Wangfujing Street in Beijing, the Wangfujing Catholic Church (also known as East Church) is the most conspicuous cathedral in Beijing.
Located at Wangfujing Street in Beijing, the Wangfujing Catholic Church (also known as East Church) is the most conspicuous cathedral in Beijing.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing.
Located at Wangfujing Street in Beijing, the Wangfujing Catholic Church (also known as East Church) is the most conspicuous cathedral in Beijing. 
Located at Wangfujing Street in Beijing, the Wangfujing Catholic Church (also known as East Church) is the most conspicuous cathedral in Beijing.
The Wangfujing Catholic Church is one of the Cultural relics protection units.

 

Address: No 74, Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng district

The Wangfujing Catholic Church, also well known as the East Church, is nestled in the midst of the department stores, fancy boutiques and hubbub of the busiest commercial streets in the city.

The East Church was built in 1655 by Ludovicus Buglio (1606 - 1682) and Gabriel de Magalhaens. When they first came to China, they mainly did missionary work in Sichuan Province. In the early period of Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), they were captured by soldiers and then worked in the Prince Su's Mansion. In 1655, Emperor Shunzhi granted them a piece of land, on which they later built the East Church to facilitate the religious activities of Catholics. Tang Ruowang (Johann Adam Schall von Bell), a famous German missionary in Qing Dynasty spent his late years in the East Church. Nan Huairen (Ferdinand Verbiest), Lang Shining (Giuseppe Castiglione) and many other western missionaries once lived there too. Lang Shining's masterpiece, the portrait of 'Jesus Christ with a Kind Heart' is hung over the side-altar. In 1720, East Church collapsed as a result of earthquake and was rebuilt the following year. In 1807, the priests' house was ruined by a big fire caused by carelessness. Bishop Tian rebuilt it in 1884. In 1990, the church was burnt down again during the Yihetuan Movement. In 1905, France and Ireland jointly rebuilt the it as we see now. The restored East Church and its surroundings have formed the largest outdoor leisure space in the commercial street of Wangfujing Area.


Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.

 

Its architectural style is Romanesque with Chinese architectural features. The whole building is of gray brick and wood structure. It is a typical model of the fusion of Chinese and western architecture style.

After the original surrounding walls were removed, the European-gray-spire building takes off its mysterious coat and comes into the sight of tourists.

 

Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Inside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Outside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Outside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Outside of the Church.
Wangfujing Catholic Church of Beijing. Outside of the Church.

 

The Catholic Church is situated in the middle of the East Church, facing the west. The church sits on a bluestone base. There are three crosses on the top, among which the middle one is bigger than the side ones. The hall is supported by 18 round brick columns. The diameter of each column is 65 cm (2 feet) and the base of each column is square. On both sides of the hall hang many oil paintings like Crucifixion of Jesus or Passion of the Christ. Besides, many precious religious paintings drawn by Giuseppe Castiglione are preserved.

The square in front of the church, covering over 8,000 square meters ( 8,6000 square feet), is now completed. The square is surrounded by trees and on both sides there are benches for pedestrians. Now, it is not only a convenient mass center for the catholic, but also a place for visitors to explore the religious culture and even a popular scene for some youths in Beijing to take wedding photos.

 

Location:

74, Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District.

Transportation:

1.Take Bus 103, 102, 104, 803, 814, 808 and get off at Dong'anmen Market, then head north about 300 meters.

2. Take Subway Line 5 and get down at the Dengshikou, then head toward Cypress Hutong for about 300 meters.

Opening Time:

every morning (times may vary)

Mass Times:

Weekdays 06:30 & 07:00 (Chinese), Saturday 06:30 & 07:00 (Chinese), Sunday 06:15 (Latin), 07:00 & 08:00 (Chinese)

 

 

(All Photo Credit: China Christian Daily) 

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