Xuanwumen Church

　　The South Church is located at No. 141 Qianmen West Street, Xuanwumen, Beijing. It is a historic Catholic church. In 1605 (the 33rd year of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era), Father Matteo Ricci built the first chapel on this site, though it was relatively small. Later, in 1650, German Jesuit Father Johann Adam Schall von Bell constructed the first large church in Beijing. It serves as the cathedral of the Beijing Diocese of the Catholic Church in China. In 1664, after Father Schall was imprisoned, the church was once destroyed. Following the overturning of Schall’s case, Emperor Kangxi allocated funds for its reconstruction. In 1775, it was damaged by fire and was rebuilt again. In 1900, it was burned down by the Boxers and subsequently reconstructed once more in 1902. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it underwent multiple renovations. The South Church is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Xuanwumen Church is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development