South Church

South Church

The South Church is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Destination Introduction

The South Church is located at No. 141 Qianmen West Street and now serves as the cathedral of the Beijing Diocese. It is the oldest and most historic Catholic church in Beijing. In 1605 (the 33rd year of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli reign), Father Matteo Ricci built the first chapel on this site, but it was very small. Later, the German Jesuit Father Johann Adam Schall von Bell constructed the first large church in Beijing in 1650. Jesuit Fathers such as Schall von Bell resided in the church. Emperor Shunzhi visited the South Church 24 times to have heart-to-heart talks with Father Schall von Bell, who served as the head of the Imperial Observatory in the Qing government. The church is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition to the priests' residences, the church courtyard includes an observatory, a library, an instrument room, and more. The emperor bestowed a plaque inscribed with “Tong Wei Jia Jing” (A Fine Place of Profound Understanding) and referred to Father Schall von Bell as the “Teacher of Profound Understanding.”

In the eighth year of the Yongzheng reign, an earthquake struck Beijing, causing approximately 100,000 casualties, and both the North and South Churches suffered damage. Emperor Yongzheng granted 1,000 taels of silver for repairs. During the Yongzheng era (possibly in the 10th year of his reign), the South Church was temporarily closed. In 1775, a fire broke out, and later Emperor Qianlong granted 10,000 taels of silver for reconstruction. The fire at the South Church destroyed the plaque inscribed with “Wan You Zhen Yuan” (True Source of All Things) written by Emperor Kangxi, as well as the couplets. Fathers Gao Shen Si and An Guo Ning took responsibility. Emperor Qianlong then granted 10,000 taels of silver and ordered the reconstruction of the church following the example set by Emperor Kangxi. All plaques and couplets were rewritten in the emperor’s own calligraphy, fully restoring the church’s former appearance. (However, he changed “Wan You Zhen Yuan” to “Wan You Zhen Yuan” [a slight variation in characters meaning “True Origin of All Things”].)

In the 18th year of the Daoguang reign (1838), the South Church was closed. On December 28 of the 24th year of the Daoguang reign (1844), Emperor Daoguang finally lifted the ban on Catholicism.

In the 26th year of the Daoguang reign, the South Church was returned. It was renovated in 1860 and reopened by Bishop Meng of Beijing.

On June 14, 1900, it was again destroyed by fire. In 1904, the main church and its affiliated buildings—the current South Church—were rebuilt. Only two stone tablets remain, recording the church’s construction history from 1650.

On December 21, 1979, Bishop Fu Tieshan was ordained at the Xuanwumen South Church, marking a significant moment as one of the first churches to reopen. Since then, under Bishop Fu’s leadership, the Beijing Diocese has embarked on a path of healthy development. The Xuanwumen South Church became the center of the Beijing Diocese, playing an important role. It now houses the bishop’s office, the diocesan administration, the Municipal Patriotic Association, and the Pastoral Council. Many key offices of the “one diocese, two councils” are also located here.

After reopening, the South Church went through three successive pastors: Father Shi Yu Kun, Father Zhao Qing Long, and Father Han Wen Sheng. Currently, Father Han still leads the parish. The assistant pastors are Fathers Pang Wen Xian and Zhang Tian Lu.

The main church is a Gothic vault-style structure with a floor area of about 1,300 square meters and auxiliary buildings covering approximately 400 square meters. The roof features ribbed vaults, and the facade includes exquisite brick carvings, while the column capitals are adorned with carved and gilded wooden reliefs. A large oil painting of the Virgin Mary hangs above the altar. With its grand exterior and colorful stained-glass windows, the church exudes magnificence. Inside the South Church are two original stone tablets: one is the Qing Emperor Shunzhi’s Inscription on the Catholic Church, though the inscriptions have become unclear over time and are embedded in the walls on either side of the main hall. On the west wall of the main hall once stood an iron cross approximately 1.2 zhang high (about 4 meters), which is the earliest relic of the South Church. It is a key cultural relic protected by Beijing Municipality.

Location: No. 141 Qianmen West Street

Transportation Information

Transportation: Take bus routes 44, 48, or 703 and get off at Qianmen West Station.

Beijing Xicheng District

Further Reading:

·Second Batch of Beijing Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units

·Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units