St. Joseph’s Church in Huzhuang, Pingyin, Jinan

St. Joseph’s Church in Huzhuang, Pingyin, Jinan

Huzhuang is not only the center of Catholicism in Pingyin but also a nationally renowned religious sanctuary. The Huzhuang Church is recognized as one of China’s three great Catholic holy sites, alongside Sheshan in Shanghai and Jiangnan Our Lady’s Church in Jilin, enjoying worldwide fame.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, located within the village, was first built in 1906. Its main structures consist of the Catholic church, the priest’s office building, the priest’s guesthouse, a garden, and more. The main church building measures 52.25 meters from north to south, 28.37 meters from east to west, with a rear dome topped by a cross reaching 50 meters high, and covers a floor area of 1,000 square meters. The entire structure was built using large stone blocks fitted tightly together, with high-relief floral carvings adorning the pillars—exquisitely crafted. The whole complex exhibits a distinct Gothic architectural style. It was destroyed by fire during the Cultural Revolution. By 1990, only the south gate of the church courtyard, the priest’s office building, and the priest’s guesthouse remained. The church was rebuilt in 1998 on its original site. The reconstructed Catholic church retained the original scale, but materials were changed to red bricks, cement, and steel reinforcement. Exterior decorations feature granite and imitation stone spray paint. The main tower was relocated from the southern end to the northern end, designed in a frame-style Romanesque architecture. The southern wall was replaced with transparent iron grilles, and the gate was also changed to an iron grille style, allowing the front façade of the church to be visible from outside. The original pond in the courtyard was renovated, new flowers, trees, and lawns were planted, turning the area in front of the church into a beautiful garden. The St. Mary’s Church on Jian Mountain is situated atop the peak of Jian Mountain, south of Pingyin County at the western foothills of Mount Tai, approximately 80 kilometers from Jinan.

The church was first built in 1895, burned down by lightning in the summer of 1927, and was rebuilt in 1928. It was destroyed again in a fire in 1966 and was restored in June 1989 through voluntary contributions and labor by domestic parishioners. The restored Our Lady of Lourdes Church faces east and has a construction area of 270 square meters. The entire building retains the original Gothic architectural features, characterized by its pointed spires that give a sense of uplifting spirituality. A stone stairway over 200 meters long was added to the east side of the church exterior, with a white statue of the Virgin Mary standing beneath the cross and a statue of St. John the Apostle on the southern side of the path. Along the stone stairway, two statues of guardian angels were erected on the stone pillars on both sides of the descending path, symbolizing the entrance to a sacred site for pilgrims. The church was completed in May 1990.

Address: Huzhuang Village, Yushan Subdistrict Office, Pingyin County, Jinan City

Opening Hours: 8:00–19:00

Recommended Visiting Time: About 3 hours

Price: 20 RMB per person

Suggested Tour Route: Huzhuang Church — Our Lady Mountain Agricultural Sightseeing Park — Dream Starry Sky

Public Transport:

No dedicated tourist shuttle bus is currently available. Public transport: Take Bus No. 7 and get off 500 meters south of National Highway 105.

Self-Driving Directions:

Exit Pingyin on the Jining–Heze Expressway — follow National Highway 220 (Zhenxing Street) — turn onto Qinglong Road — then turn onto National Highway 105 to reach the destination.

Parking Information:

Parking area in front of the church.