Xiamen Catholic Church

Xiamen Catholic Church

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

The Catholic Church is located at No. 34 Lujiao Road. In 1842, the Spanish Catholic Church came to Xiamen to preach. Initially, they rented a civilian house in Tianwei, Gulangyu to set up a chapel, which was later moved into the Spanish Consulate on Lujiao Road. After 1858, the Spanish Catholic Church successively built a Catholic church and a bishop's office on Cian Road in Xiamen. In 1917, Bishop Manuel Prat built the Gulangyu Catholic Church next to the Spanish Consulate on Gulangyu and relocated the bishop's office there. At that time, the Xiamen Catholic Diocese had jurisdiction over 25 counties in southern, western, and central Fujian.

Architectural Features

This building is a typical Gothic structure designed by a Spanish architect. The church faces southeast and is situated northwest, covering a construction area of 232 square meters. It has a brick, stone, and wood structure, with a floor plan that is square in the front, rectangular in the middle, and semi-circular at the back. The front part is a bell tower with three levels: the first floor serves as the entrance, the second as the choir loft, and the third as the bell tower. The middle and rear sections are single-story — the middle being the worship hall and the rear the altar. The interior of the hall is divided longitudinally by two rows of pillars, with pointed arch vaulted ceilings between them. The exterior walls are plastered white over a brick and stone base, and the building façade is decorated with Gothic pinnacles and rose windows. The window lintels are inscribed with the Chinese characters “天主堂” (Catholic Church) and the Latin “ECCLESLACATHOLICA” (meaning “Catholic Church”). The main façade has three sets of double doors, while the side façades each have four pointed arch windows, with columns in the Greek Ionic style. A cross sits atop the bell tower, which houses a bronze bell purchased at the time of construction. The roof is covered with red machine-made flat tiles.

Protected Area

The protected area extends 15 meters outward from the east, south, west, and north sides, and adjacent buildings are included within the protected zone.

Protection Guidelines: Strict protection must be given to the building itself and its ancillary facilities. During any cultural relic maintenance, the principle of preserving the original condition without alteration must be strictly followed.

Construction Zone

The eastern boundary is Lujiao Road, the southern boundary is Fujian Road, the western boundary extends 50 meters outward from the building with adjacent structures included in the construction control zone, and the northern boundary connects with the Japanese Consulate’s construction control zone.

Protection Guidelines: Control the construction of new buildings around the site, systematically remove structures that are not in harmony with the overall style of the cultural relic environment, and renovate and maintain the courtyard landscape and surrounding greenery.