Pingjiang Catholic Church

Pingjiang Catholic Church

Pingjiang Catholic Church is a cultural tourism attraction.

Pingjiang Catholic Church is located in Geli Ping Town, Xiqu District, Panzhihua City. Originally built in 1885, it has a history of 117 years and is one of the long-standing architectural landmarks in Panzhihua. It is also the largest and best-maintained Catholic church in the city. The church is 5 kilometers from Geli Ping and 27 kilometers from the city center. Surrounded by lush greenery, the church enjoys a serene and sacred atmosphere.

According to historical records, during the

eighth year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty (1730), missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society were dispatched from the Diocese of Sui Fu to the Longxi area in Yanjin. Catholicism gradually spread to Mashi (now Geli Ping Town in Xiqu District, Panzhihua). During the Daoguang era (1840–1864), its religious activities fell under the jurisdiction of the Yunnan Vicariate; in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign (1865), it was placed under the Kunming Diocese. In the sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1880), French priest Father Tuo Anguo arrived in Mashi Street (the current site of the church). Seeing the fertile land and abundant water resources, he decided to build a church here. He then asked the local authorities in Yunnan to purchase a plot of land for the construction, asking, “How large a piece of land do you need?” The reply was, “A piece as big as a cowhide will suffice.” The authorities agreed to sell a plot the size of a cowhide. The priest then cut the entire cowhide into strips as thin as those used for making shoe soles and used them to encircle an area, thus marking out the current site of the church.

The construction of the church

took over four years and was completed in the eleventh year of the Guangxu reign (1885). It is a Western-style civil-structured building, featuring a chapel, bell tower, schoolhouse, dormitories,

kitchen, and animal pens, totaling 87 rooms. The site covers an area of 3,340 square meters, with a built-up area of 1,657 square meters.

The church was originally called Mashang Catholic Church. Before 1965, it was under the jurisdiction of Huaping County in Yunnan Province. In 1965, it was transferred to the administration of Luding in Sichuan Province. At that time, the local people's commune was called Pingjiang Commune, and the commune office was located inside the church, so Mashang Catholic Church was renamed Pingjiang Catholic Church. Its religious activities came under the jurisdiction of the Xichang Diocese.

A total of nine priests have served at the church, as recorded in historical documents. They are, in order: Father Mai Lingfen, Father Duan, Father Yun, Father Zhang, Father Shen, Father Mai Linglao, Father Lu, Father Meng Zongru, and Father Long Shenghui. Among them, four were French priests. The last French priest, Father Long Shenghui, left the church in 1952 and returned to France via Huaping and Kunming. It is estimated that before the liberation, the church had over 600 parishioners, spread across areas such as Huaping and Yongren, with the surnames Xie and Liu being the most common. Currently, there are still over 100 parishioners who regularly participate in religious activities, and Mass is held every week.

In 1937, French Father Meng Zongru purchased 480 square meters of land in Geli Ping. With donations of money and labor from parishioners, three civil-structured buildings were constructed. These buildings were used both for gatherings and as a school. After the liberation, the buildings were taken over by the production team and used as storage rooms. In 1984, they were returned to the religious community. After the liberation, the main buildings of the church were successively occupied by the township government, commune, grain station, supply and marketing cooperative, hospital, school, and credit union, resulting in a certain degree of damage to the church.

Especially during the Cultural Revolution, the church suffered severe destruction. The ceiling of the chapel was dismantled, the cross at the top of the bell tower was removed, and the paintings inside the buildings were erased, which was truly heartbreaking. In 1980, the United Front Work Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee decided to include Pingjiang Catholic Church in the second batch of religious sites to be reopened in the province. After extensive preparations, the church was officially reopened on May 22, 1983 (the Feast of Pentecost). Later, in accordance with the provisions of Document No. 19 (1982) from the Central Committee regarding the implementation of property policies for religious organizations, the occupied buildings of the church were gradually returned.

Starting in 1982, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government, the Luding City Government, and the Renhe District Government successively allocated funds for the maintenance of Pingjiang Catholic Church. By 1985, the maintenance budget had reached 28,000 yuan. After the city's administrative division adjustment in 1994, the former Pingjiang Township of Renhe District was placed under the jurisdiction of Xiqu District, and Pingjiang Catholic Church accordingly came under the administration of Xiqu District. The most recent renovation of the church was carried out in 1997. The Panzhihua Municipal People's Government allocated 15,000 yuan, the Xiqu District People's Government subsidized 25,000 yuan, the Xichang Diocese contributed 25,000 yuan, and parishioners donated 5,000 yuan, totaling 70,000 yuan. The church has now been fully restored.

In addition to conducting regular religious services, the church today also welcomes pilgrims from afar. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, thousands of people gather at the church, creating a lively atmosphere. Outside the church, in the courtyard of the Jing Tang Village Committee, an all-night Guozhuang dance party is held, open to all who wish to join and dance to their heart’s content.

With the annual "May Day" International Yangtze River Drifting Festival held on Jinsha Beach in Geli Ping, the district and town governments have designated Pingjiang Catholic Church as an important site for visitors. Currently, the Jing Tang Village Committee is raising funds to renovate the village road from Power Plant 504 to the church, making it more convenient for tourists to visit and worship.

The Catholic Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was officially reopened. Later, in accordance with the provisions of Document No. 19 (1982) from the Central Committee regarding the implementation of property policies for religious groups, the occupied portions of the church were gradually returned.

Starting from 1982, the People's Government of Sichuan Province, the city of Panzhihua (formerly known as Dukou), and the Renhe District Government successively allocated funds for the maintenance of Pingjiang Catholic Church. By 1985, the maintenance funding had reached 28,000 yuan. After the city’s administrative division adjustment in 1994, the former Pingjiang Township under Renhe District was placed under the jurisdiction of Xiqu, and Pingjiang Catholic Church accordingly came under the administration of Xiqu. The most recent renovation of the church took place in 1997, with 15,000 yuan funded by the Panzhihua Municipal People's Government, 25,000 yuan subsidized by the Xiqu People's Government, 25,000 yuan contributed by the Xichang Diocese, and 5,000 yuan donated by parishioners, totaling 70,000 yuan. Today, Pingjiang Catholic Church has been fully restored to its original condition.

In addition to conducting regular religious services, the church now also receives pilgrims who travel from afar. On Christmas Eve, December 24th each year, thousands of people gather at the church, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. Outside the church, in the courtyard of the Jingtang Village Committee, an all-night Guozhuang dance party is held, open to all attendees who are welcome to join in and dance to their heart’s content.

With the annual "May Day" International Yangtze River Drifting Festival held at Jinshatan in Geli Ping, both the district and town governments have designated Pingjiang Catholic Church as a key site open to tourists. Currently, the Jingtang Village Committee is raising funds to renovate the village road from Power Plant 504 to the church, making it more convenient for visitors from other areas to travel to the church for worship and sightseeing.