Hulan Catholic Church

Hulan Catholic Church

Hulan Catholic Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Heilongjiang Province.

The Catholic church was first built in the 34th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1908). It was constructed under the direction of French missionary Dai Zhikui. The building covers a floor area of 327.5 square meters, with the main body of the church standing 26 meters tall, 19 meters long from east to west, and 11 meters wide from north to south. All the doors and windows in the structure are round and made of blue bricks. The overall building is a civil structure made of blue bricks, blue tiles, and wood. The main architectural style is a twin-tower, upright jet-type design, representing a classic European church in the Gothic style. Its exterior and interior hall bear similarities to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Hence, it has long been known as the “Oriental Notre-Dame.” A classmate of Xiao Hong became a nun at this church in opposition to oppressive authority. After graduating from elementary school, Xiao Hong’s father did not want her to study in Harbin, forcing her to drop out and stay home. To pursue her education, Xiao Hong threatened her father that if she wasn’t allowed to go to school, she would become a nun at the church.

On either side of the main church building, 1.5 meters away, there are two prayer pavilions: the Virgin Mary Pavilion and the Jesus Pavilion. The statue of the Virgin Mary inside the prayer pavilion stands 1.85 meters tall, while the statue of Jesus is 2.08 meters tall. The interior of the pavilion is hexagonal, supported by six wooden pillars, each 3.50 meters high. There is also an iron railing around the outside, standing 1.20 meters tall.

Approximately 6 meters to the west of the main building, there is an auxiliary historical structure from the same period—the Clergy Residence of Hulan Catholic Church. The building covers a construction area of 267.3 square meters, stands 12 meters tall, and is a two-story structure. The clergy residence shares the same orientation as the main building, facing south. Its architectural style is modeled after Baroque architecture. The grand scale of the Hulan Catholic Church is unique within our province. The architecture of the Hulan Catholic Church holds significant value for understanding and studying European Catholic churches and Gothic architectural art.

In May 2003, the Hulan Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau and the Harbin Catholic Patriotic Association, based on the historical evolution of Hulan Catholic Church, supporting evidence, and relevant religious documents, transferred the property rights of the Hulan Catholic Church to the Harbin Catholic Patriotic Association.

In August 1993, the Harbin Catholic Patriotic Association carried out a full restoration of Hulan Catholic Church. During the restoration, under the supervision of the Hulan District Cultural Relics Management Office, the principle of “restoring the old as it was” was followed. The church was fully reopened in September 2004.

Hulan Catholic Church was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1994, a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in 1995, and a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in 1999.

This is a typical Gothic-style building, constructed with blue bricks, blue tiles, and wood, featuring symmetrical five-story bell towers on both sides, with a massive cross standing in the center. From a distance, its quaint shape—both familiar and unfamiliar—is essentially a replica of the world-renowned Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. This is the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hulan, Harbin, known to many as the “Oriental Notre-Dame.”

Xiao Hong, the famous modern female writer, mentioned in her book *Tales of Hulan River* that her best friend became a nun in the church to avoid being forced into becoming a concubine. The church referred to in the book is this very Catholic church in Hulan.

According to the *Hulan County Annals*, in the first year of the Guangxu reign (1875), French priests entered Hulan and began renting civilian houses to establish a church for missionary activities. In the 34th year of the Guangxu reign (1908), French missionary Dai Zhikui built a Catholic church building on East Main Street in the city. The building features a Gothic style, with all doors and windows made of round blue bricks and adorned with various floral decorations. At the top of the central spire between the two tower buildings, there are colonnades encircling a red copper cross. The priest in charge of constructing the church at the time was Frenchman Dai Zhikui, which explains why the Hulan Catholic Church so closely resembles Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Stepping into the interior hall, you’ll find a spacious and bright domed hall, flanked by two rows of tall white pillars. Inside the tower, there is a wooden staircase leading directly to the rooftop.

The design of Hulan Catholic Church is quite unique, setting it apart in Harbin, the “City of Churches.” According to Catholic tradition, churches where ordinary priests serve can only have a single bell tower, and only bishops are entitled to twin bell towers. Yet Hulan Catholic Church also features twin towers, which is truly remarkable. He mentioned that this century-old church holds a wealth of historical depth waiting to be explored. Elements such as the precisely aligned blue bricks and the preserved side door of the church possess immense historical, cultural, and architectural value.

During the Cultural Revolution, some rebellious students tore off the spires of the eastern and western towers of the Catholic church, as well as the central bell tower, and destroyed the copper cross. The copper bell was also removed. Later, the church was long occupied by a school and used as a warehouse for storing scrap materials. It wasn’t until 2002 that the former Hulan County Government returned the church to the church authorities. With donations totaling 1.25 million yuan from Harbin believers, the Catholic church underwent restoration.

After the renovation, the area in front of the church and the adjacent Baroque-style clergy residence was transformed into a spacious square. Today, the Catholic church has become a must-visit attraction for tourists coming to Hulan and has emerged as a landmark building in the Hulan District.

In recent years, more and more visitors have come specifically to tour the church, including not only domestic tourists but also many international visitors from around the world. Almost everyone is amazed that a small city like Hulan could have such a “sister church” to Notre-Dame Cathedral. This architectural gem, quietly standing by the banks of the Hulan River, has endured a century of change. After lying dormant for much of the last century, it has now regained its radiant brilliance.

Address: No. 74, Dongzhi Road, Hulan District