St. Joseph's Church, Beijing
St Joseph's Church, Beijing | ||
---|---|---|
Wangfujing Church (Dongtang) | ||
大聖若瑟堂 | ||
Style Romanesque Revival | | |
Groundbreaking | ||
Completed | 1904 | |
Administration | ||
Archdiocese | Beijing | |
Clergy | ||
Archbishop | Joseph Li Shan |
St. Joseph's Church (
The construction of the church was finished in 1655 by
History
Original structures (1653–1900)
The congregation was first established in 1653 by Father
The church underwent an extremely turbulent history.[6] An earthquake which struck Beijing in 1720 damaged the building.[1] Approximately ninety years later, the church building was obliterated by fire and the remnants that survived were destroyed as a result of the government's anti-Western sentiments and policies. The site remained barren until 1860, when British and French forces invaded Beijing as part of the Second Opium War. Thereafter, foreign missionaries, who were once again allowed into the capital, rebuilt St. Joseph's.[6] However, anti-foreign sentiment never faded away and arose once again at the turn of the century, culminating in the Boxer Rebellion. At the height of the uprising in 1900, the church building was "burned to the ground".[7]
Present-day church
St. Joseph's was rebuilt in 1904 utilizing Romanesque Revival architecture, featuring pilasters and three bell towers.[8]
In 1949,
The church was closed down altogether in 1966—the first year of the Cultural Revolution—and suffered further damage during this period of time until the end of the revolution in 1976.[1]
Location
How to get there: take Beijing metro line no. 1 to Wangfujing station. Walk north along Wangfujing Street for 10 minutes: church is on your right.
Restoration
The
The change in prevailing political views was favorable to St. Joseph's Church; the Beijing municipal government funded the church's restoration efforts.[2] The refurbished building reopened in 1980 for Catholic services.[8] Another significant renovation on the church was completed in September 2000.[2][6] On July 16, 2007, Fr. Joseph Li Shan—the then-parish priest of St. Joseph's—was elected as the new Archbishop of Beijing by the CPCA.[16] Although no official Vatican statement was issued, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his approval of the appointment, making Li one of the few bishops in China to have the support of both the government and the Holy See.[17][18]
Architecture
The church of St. Joseph was built in a Romanesque Revival style[8] and is noted for its mixture of European and local Chinese features in its design.[2] A plaque attached to the outside wall details the history of the church.[12] Surrounding outside the church is a large square and park that is 1.2 hectares.[2] It contains a statue of the Madonna and Child.[12]
In popular culture
The Church of St. Joseph's appears in Cixin Liu's novel The Three Body Problem, where the three Romanesque vaults mirror the nature of the physics conundrum.[19]
See also
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Beijing
- Jesuit China missions
- Wangfujing
- Xishiku Cathedral(Beitang)
- Xizhimen Church(Xitang)
- List of Jesuit sites
References
Citations
- ^ ISBN 9781742204031. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
st joseph's church is also known locally as the East Cathedral.
- ^ a b c d e "China reports renovation of Catholic church in Beijing". Xinhua News Agency. September 7, 2000. Retrieved February 1, 2013. (subscription required)
- ISBN 9780472112081. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ISBN 9780802846808. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ISBN 9788875751364.
- ^ ISBN 9780470616154. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
wangfujing church.
- ^ a b c Bernstein, Richard (February 6, 1983). "Around The Corner, An Ageless China". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Yuan, Yuan (May 1, 2008). "Discovering Beijing: Street Life". Beijing Review. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Paul (April 5, 2005). "Chinese Catholics caught between churches". USA Today. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ^ Bradsher, Keith (April 30, 2006). "China Installs Bishop as Vatican Objects". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ^ Lopez-Galo, Pedro (January 29, 2013). "'Old celestial empire' still surprises Westerners". The B.C. Catholic. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c Roberts, Rosemary (July 1, 2005). "China Has Aura Of Openness". Greensboro News & Record. p. A11. Retrieved February 14, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ Poon, Leon. "The People's Republic Of China: IV". History of China. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (June 27, 1981). "Comrade Mao Zedong's Historical Role and Mao Zedong Thought—Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China (abridged)". Chinese Communist Party. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Berryman, Elizabeth (June 2, 2009). "Leader Profile: Chinese Patriarch Deng Xiaoping". PBS. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ^ "Beijing Catholics elect Dongtang priest as new bishop". Catholic News Service. July 17, 2007. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ^ "China installs Pope-backed bishop". BBC News. September 21, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ^ Bodeen, Christopher (September 21, 2007). "Vatican hopeful about new Beijing bishop". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ^ Liu, Cixin (2014). The Three Body Problem. Tor Books. pp. Chapter 9.
He sat in front of St. Joseph's Church at Wangfujing. In the pale white light of dawn, the church's Romanesque vaults appeared as three giant fingers pointing out something in space for him.
Sources
- Pagani, Catherine (2001). Eastern Magnificence & European Ingenuity: Clocks of Late Imperial China. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-11208-1.