1. Beijing Eastern Church

 

Beijing Eastern Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

 

    In old times, a church was built in each cardinal direction in the city of Beijing, and the eastern one was Catholic East Church, or Wangfujing Catholic Church. Located in downtown Wangfujing Street, it is one of the best-preserved religious sites in the heart of Beijing. The church was first built in 1665 by two priests and underwent a latest renovation in 2008. Beside the church is a square of 1.2 hectares, where lush trees, grass and sparkling neon lights compliment the gorgeous building at night.

  2. St. Sophia Church

 

St. Sophia Church Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    The St. Sophia Church in Harbin is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East region. It is 53.35 meters high and occupies an area of 721 square meters and displays typical Byzantine architecture. The building was first built by Russians for military use in March of 1907, and later was renovated into a wooden church. In November of 1996, it was listed as one of the key cultural relics under state protection. Half a year later, the Harbin city government repaired it and renamed it as Harbin Art Gallery.

  3. Xikai Catholic Church

 

Xikai Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Located at the west end of Binjiang Street of Tianjin, the Xikai Catholic Church is the biggest Catholic Church in Tianjin. It is also called the "French Church" because it was first built by French bishops. With a height of 45 meters and an area of 1,585 square meters, it is a typical French Romanesque building that is now decorated and open to the public.

 4. Xujiahui Catholic Church

 

Xujiahui Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Xujiahui Catholic Church is located at Puxi Street of Shanghai's Xuhui District. It is the largest Catholic Church in the city and China's first western style church. Done in a style imitating the gothic style of France in the Middle Ages, it was first built in 1905 and was at the time known as the number one architecture of Shanghai.

    With red walls, white stone columns and slate roofs, as well as the two cloud-kissing bell towers that face each other, the Xujiahui Catholic Church has become an important building in Shanghai. As the church can hold 3,000 people, it has also been named the Vatican in Shanghai.

    There are thousands of Christians in the area, so the church has to hold several masses in the early morning. On Sunday, the Christian holy day, the church hall is filled with people. The Xujiahui Catholic Church has been listed as one of the protected cultural heritage in Shanghai Municipality.

5. Shigulu Catholic Church

 

Shigulu Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Located on Shigu Road in Nanjing, the Shigulu Catholic Church now is the only Romanesque architecture in the city. It was first built in 1870 by French priests and has been the office of Catholicism patriotic committee of Nanjing and Jiangsu Provinces since 1978. The church follows the form of an old European abbey and is a typical catholic church. It has been listed as one of the protected cultural heritage of Jiangsu Province.

   6. St Michael's Catholic Church

 

St Michael's Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    St Michael's Catholic Church sits at Zhejiang Road, on top of a steep hill in Qingdao's old urban area. With an area of 2,470 square meters, it is the biggest gothic building in the city of Qingdao.

    The bell tower of the church is 55 meters high and it has been the city's highest building for a long time. The windows of the church are covered by colorful glass patterns depicting stories from the Bible. The roofs and interior columns are painted yellow and white while the traceries and architraves are painted gold. The gorgeous church has been a popular place for young Catholic couples to hold weddings.

7. Shenyang Catholic Church

 

Shenyang Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Shenyang Catholic Church, or Shenyang Nanguan Church, is located at 40 Nanlejiao Lu in Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. Following Renaissance architectural style, it is a typical gothic building and the Catholic center of northeast China. With a height of 40 meters and an area of 1,100 square meters, the church can hold 1,500 people at a time. The huge iron gate and the high walls that surround the church leave people with an impression of solemnity and serenity.

 8. Sacred Heart Cathedral Church

 

Sacred Heart Cathedral (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Located on Yide Street in the center of Guangzhou, Sacred Heart Cathedral is the grandest and most characteristic church in Guangzhou. It has also been called "Stone House", as all of the walls and columns are made of granite. The church is an imitation of a European gothic cathedral and its tower spire reaches 58.5 meters. The atmosphere of the church can be compared to Notre Dame in Paris.

  9.The Cizhong Church

 

The Cizhong Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    The Cizhong Church is one of the few churches in Tibet that survived the Cultural Revolution. The church, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is a unique fusion of French and Chinese architectural styles. The overhanging eaves and roof of the church are Chinese style, while the cross on top is Western style. The Cizhong municipal government repaired the church in 1989 and then opened it to the public.

10. Yanjing Catholic Church

 

Yanjing Catholic Church (Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

    Yanjing Church is the only Catholic Church in Tibet. With an area of six square kilometers, it is located in Yanjing Village in Mangkang County of Tibet. Nowadays, 80 percent of Yanjing residents believe in Catholicism, and a Tibetan priest who is in charge of religious activities reads a Bible that has been translated into Tibetan.

Source: www.chinaview.cn