Weizhou Catholic Church

Weizhou Catholic Church

Located in Shengtang Village on Weizhou Island, the Weizhou Catholic Church is one of the most magnificent churches in the “Lei-Lian” region during the late Qing Dynasty. Its construction is related to the Qing government’s decision to “reopen the island ban” on Weizhou, which allowed the French to come and preach. In the eighth year of the Tongzhi reign, or 1869, the French Catholic Church spent ten years building this 1,000-square-meter church using the island’s unique coral stone. It is a Gothic-style church with European medieval architectural features. The top of the church features many sharp, pointed spires that seem to pierce the sky, giving an impression of reaching upward and evoking a mystical sense of the heavens—an effect that is truly one of a kind.

The main structure of the church is 51.6 meters long, 12.2 meters wide, and 15 meters high. The bell tower stands 21 meters tall. Ancillary buildings include a convent and the priests’ residence, bringing the total area to over 2,000 square meters.

At the time, the Weizhou Catholic Church was under the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Catholic Diocese of the “Far East Mission of France,” but it also oversaw churches in areas such as Leizhou, Qinzhou, Fangcheng, Lingshan, and Hepu, making it the “capital” of the Catholic Church in the southwestern part of Guangdong’s mainland. This church is a historical witness to the introduction of modern French Catholicism into the Beihai region. It is now managed by the Weizhou Catholic Patriotic Association.