Siliqiao Catholic Church

Siliqiao Catholic Church

Siliqiao Catholic Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

In the 46th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1707), French missionary Longsheng came to Wuxi to preach. He built a small chapel near Tianzhong Lane by the west bank of Yongding Bridge in the city, which was the first Catholic church in the Wuxi area. The Siliqiao Catholic Church was completed in the 30th year of the Daoguang reign (1850). Initially, it only had three church rooms. This church is a typical example of Gothic architecture, featuring a blend of Chinese and Western styles. It has a brick-and-wood structure, with gray bricks and white joints on the exterior walls, deep red walls, and pointed roofs. The overall floor plan is cruciform. The majestic bell tower stands 62 meters tall, towering over the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. At the top of the facade is a large cross, beneath which lies a marble slab inscribed with the three golden characters "天主堂" (Catholic Church) in intaglio, written by the calligrapher Wang Zhizhong. On both sides are brick-carved white-background golden-character couplets in relief: “万有资生渊微莫测，一元默化浩荡难名” (“All things derive from a profound source beyond measure; the silent transformation of the primal force is vast and indescribable”), which is said to have been composed by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. The Catholic Church has suffered destruction and undergone multiple restorations. Aside from damage during the Boxer Rebellion, the most severe incident occurred in April of the 17th year of the Guangxu reign (1891), when a anti-Christian riot in Wuxi led to the burning of the church and expulsion of missionaries. The following year, French Father Peng Anduo sought compensation from the Qing court and rebuilt a larger church on the original site. Covering an area of 27 mu and costing 66,000 taels of silver, the church has a total construction area of over 2,700 square meters and can accommodate 4,000 people. This is the current Siliqiao Catholic Church in Wuxi, one of the earliest, largest, and most renowned Catholic churches established in Jiangsu Province.

On June 5, 2006, Siliqiao Catholic Church was announced as part of the sixth batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province