[Shanghai Attractions] Xujiahui Church: A magnificent Gothic building with a long history

#ShanghaiAttractions ⛪️About the church The Xujiahui Church was designed by architect W. M. Dowdall. Construction officially began in 1906, the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. It took four years to build and the inauguration ceremony was held on October 22, 1910. The church is large in scale and gorgeously decorated, and is known as the "No. 1 Cathedral in the Far East." . The exterior of the church is a typical European medieval Gothic building with a long cross-shaped floor plan, the front facing east, and bell towers on both sides that soar into the clouds. There are 64 columns in the lobby that are carved from Jinshan stone produced in Suzhou, and each column is composed of 10 small columns. The doors and windows are all Gothic pointed arch style, inlaid with stained glass, inlaid with patterns and statues. These glass paintings are mostly based on religious stories, with a small amount of real-life themes mixed in. Each piece of glass has a different story. The church has 19 altars, the main altar is 44 meters wide and was transported from Paris on Easter in the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919). In the center of the altar are statues of St. Ignatius and eight saints, which are exquisitely carved and brightly colored. . ℹ️Practical information Address: No. 158, Puxi Road, Xujiahui, Xuhui District, Shanghai Transportation: Take Metro Line 1, Xujiahui Station, Exit 3, and walk 330 meters to the destination Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 09:00-15:30, the visit takes about 1 hour and the photo taking takes about 2 hours.