Shishiku Cathedral

The Shishiku Cathedral is an amazing building located in Beijing, it represents the Catholic Church of Christ the Savior. The temple is striking in its architecture and history; the church is a very popular place, and every year crowds of Catholics living throughout Asia gather here.

History

The Shishiku Cathedral was built in 1703 on the territory of the land that the emperor donated to the Jesuits, who healed him of a terrible illness. At the beginning of the 19th century, the cathedral was forced to move to its current location due to the fact that they decided to build a huge park in its former place. At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a major uprising of the Yihetuan in China, who began to destroy and burn many buildings and structures, including they decided to burn the Shishiku Cathedral, but French and Italian soldiers stood up to defend the cathedral; they held a siege that lasted more than three months . As a result of this siege, the cathedral was severely damaged. In 1959, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church began to own the cathedral, and the destroyed elements were restored by the efforts of this church.

Architectural features of the structure

The Shishiku Cathedral is made in the classical Gothic style, which is unique for this region, where all buildings are made in the Chinese style. The building also has its own local Chinese features, the carvings on the facade of the building are made in the classical Chinese style, and at the entrance to the cathedral there are bright red pavilions with a curved shape, inside these pavilions there are four stone lions, which should protect the spirit and peace of the temple. On the facade of the room there are several spiers with the holy apostles installed on them. The facade of the building is also decorated with a window in the shape of roses. This combination of European and Chinese style allows the building to look unusual, and most importantly - impressive and very beautiful.

The interior of the Shishiku Cathedral is decorated with 40 columns, the height of which is 15 meters, these columns support the majestic gilded vault. Inside the building there are 80 windows with elements of gospel themes. The entire hall is completely decorated with various frescoes, the main one depicting the Holy Virgin Mary. The cathedral's special prayer hall can accommodate more than a thousand people; all services in the cathedral are conducted in Chinese.

A large number of Chinese Catholics, as well as Europeans coming to China, gather in the cathedral. It is also used as the main place for major Catholic holidays, and the heads of many Catholic churches in Asia gather here. Many residents of the city, despite the fact that they profess a different faith, admire this cathedral, and also consider this building one of the main architectural monuments of the city. The Shishiku Cathedral attracts the eye and enchants with its beauty. This place is a must-see for all tourists, as well as lovers of the history and architecture of old China and Europe.