Anqing Catholic Church

Anqing Catholic Church

Anqing Catholic Church is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Anqing Catholic Church is located at No. 58, Xilin Street, Yingjiang District, Anqing City. It consists of a foyer, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and the priests' building. The main structure, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, was founded in the 10th year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1871) and completed in 1893. Initially named the Church of the Holy Saints, it was later renamed the Catholic Church.

The foyer of Anqing Catholic Church faces Xilin Street, featuring a semicircular lintel with the church’s name, and the entrance is flanked by gabled walls on both sides.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and the priests' building face south and cover an area of 3,868 square meters. They are laid out in the shape of a Latin cross, with the gabled walls serving as the main entrances. The tops of the doors and windows are all arched, and the roof is large and sweeping. The front of the Sacred Heart Church has three arched doors, with the central door crowned by a vertical stone plaque inscribed with the words “万有真原” (The True Source of All Things). The Sacred Heart Church is a post-and-lintel wooden structure, and its bell tower is designed in the traditional form of a memorial archway. The priests' building features pilasters and capitals, emphasizing horizontal line divisions and vertical long windows. Various forms of window pediments are complemented by protruding rooftop elements such as fireplace chimneys and dormer windows.

Anqing Catholic Church is a historical testament to the spread and infiltration of Western religion in old China. Its architecture combines Chinese construction methods with Western stylistic elements, giving it significant architectural and aesthetic value.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) designated Anqing Catholic Church as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Protected Area: Within the church’s surrounding wall.

Construction Control Zone: Outside the protected area, extending west to Xilin Street, north to Xiaosu Road, east following the boundary of the protected area, and south bounded by the wall of No. 3 Middle School.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units