St. Ignatius Cathedral

　　St. Ignatius Cathedral is situated at No. 156 Pu Xi Road, Xuhui District, and is the headquarters of the Shanghai Catholic Patriotic Association. Construction started in the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (1905) and was completed in the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign (1910), with renovations carried out in 1980. The cathedral features medieval Gothic architecture, with a long cruciform layout facing east, and twin bell towers rising majestically on either side.

　　St. Ignatius Cathedral was the first Catholic church built in Shanghai after the Opium Wars. In the late 19th century, the area near Xu Guangqi’s tomb was the center of Catholicism in Shanghai. In 1906, the church began constructing a new building, which was completed in 1910—this later became St. Ignatius Cathedral, the first church in China designed in a Western architectural style. It stands 79 meters tall, 28 meters wide, and 44 meters wide at the main altar. The interior includes 64 granite pillars quarried in Suzhou and carved from stone, each composed of 10 smaller columns. The floor is paved with square bricks, while the central aisle is covered with floral ceramic tiles. The doors and windows feature Gothic pointed arches inlaid with stained glass, forming patterns and religious figures. There are 19 altars, with the central high altar brought from Paris on Easter in 1919, holding significant religious artistic value. The cathedral can accommodate 2,500 people for Mass simultaneously. The exterior showcases classic European medieval Gothic style with a double spire brick structure; the ridge of the roof is 18 meters high, the bell towers reach approximately 60 meters, and the spires rise 31 meters, with two crosses atop them piercing the sky. A cross also adorns the center of the roof, resembling a...? Life is like riding a...—a fitting metaphor. The central part of the roof features an elaborate bas-relief, intricate and ornate, resembling the shape of a Roman clock when viewed from afar. The external structure is entirely made of red bricks, with the roof covered in graphite tiles adorned with many stone carvings of cherubs and the Lord, exuding purity and serenity.

　　

　　Suggested Visit Duration

　　20 minutes

　　Transportation

　　Located on Pu Xi Road in Xuhui District, accessible by subway or bus

　　1. Take Metro Lines 1, 9, or 11 to “Xujiahui” Station, and exit from Exit 3 (Caoxi North Road & Pu Xi Road) to arrive directly

　　2. Take bus routes 42, 43, 44, 50, 167, 171, 198, 303, 320, 548, 712, 732, 816, 824, 830, 836, or 855 to “Xujiahui” Station, then walk about 300 meters south along Caoxi North Road; or take bus routes 205 or 920 to “Nandan Road & Caoxi North Road” Station, then walk about 250 meters north along Caoxi North Road

　　Admission

　　Free, but admission tickets are required

　　Opening Hours

　　Open to non-Catholics: Saturdays 13:00–16:00, Sundays 14:00–16:00, with volunteer-guided tours every 30 minutes

　　Location

　　No. 158 Pu Xi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai