Shishiku Cathedral

The Sishiku Cathedral is an amazing structure located in Beijing, it represents the Catholic Church of Christ the Savior. The temple impresses with its architecture and history, the church is a very popular place, and every year crowds of Catholics living all over Asia gather here.

History of origin

The Sishiku Cathedral was built in 1703 on the territory of the land that the emperor gave to the Jesuits, who cured him of a terrible disease. At the beginning of the 19th century, the cathedral was forced to be moved to its current location due to the fact that it was decided to build a huge park on its former site. At the beginning of the 19th century, a major uprising of the Yihetuan took place in China, which began to destroy and burn many buildings and structures, including the Sishiku Cathedral, but French and Italian soldiers defended 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 forces of this church.

Architectural features of the building

The Sishiku Cathedral is made in the classical Gothic style, which is unique for this region, where all buildings are made in the Chinese style. There are also local Chinese features of the building, the carvings on the facade of the building are made in classical Chinese style, there are also bright red curved pavilions at the entrance to the cathedral, inside these pavilions there are four stone lions that should protect the spirit and peace of the temple. There are several spires with the holy apostles mounted on them on the facade of the room. The facade of the building is also decorated with a rose-shaped window. This combination of European and Chinese style makes the building look unusual, and most importantly, spectacular and very beautiful.

The interior of the Sishiku Cathedral is decorated with 40 columns, which are 15 meters high, and these columns support a majestic gilded vault. There are 80 windows with elements of evangelical themes inside the building. The entire hall is completely decorated with various frescoes, the main one of which depicts the Holy Virgin Mary. The cathedral's special prayer hall can accommodate more than a thousand people, and all services in the cathedral are conducted in Chinese.

A large number of Chinese Catholics gather in the cathedral, as well as Europeans who come to China. It is also used as the main place for celebrating 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 Sishiku Cathedral attracts the eyes and enchants with its beauty. This place is a must-visit for all tourists, as well as lovers of the history and architecture of old China and Europe.