Diqing Tour (3) - Cizhong Church

At dusk, we approached Cizhong Village in Deqin County, where Cizhong Church is located. The Lancang River lies between Cizhong Village and the Dewei Highway. A modern bridge spans the river, but it was closed for repairs at that time, allowing only pedestrian access. Fortunately, it was only about 1 kilometer from the bridge to the church. When we arrived at the church, we found the gate locked, so we took the opportunity to explore the village, observing the residents' houses and the new village built by the government for relocated households. When we returned to the church, the gate was open, rewarding our sincere effort to visit the church. Cizhong Church is an impressive structure, blending Chinese and Western styles. It was built in 1921 with funds from the Qing government as compensation for the Weixi Incident. Next to the church, there is a vegetable garden and a vineyard belonging to the church, and the graves of three missionaries are located in the garden. On May 25, 2006, Cizhong Church was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. We wanted to visit Cizhong Church partly because of its reputed beauty and partly out of curiosity about how Catholicism took root in such a remote area. The sight of the church and the graves made us ponder deeply. In the 19th century, French missionaries left their homeland and traveled thousands of miles to Yunnan, bringing with them a foreign religion, as well as coffee seeds, grape cultivation, and winemaking techniques. In the process of spreading their religion, they built the church with Chinese architectural elements to better integrate with the local culture. They even adopted Chinese names and wore Chinese clothing. Some shed their blood in religious conflicts, while others spent their entire lives preaching and were buried locally. Putting aside politics, religion, culture, and nationality, the dedication of these missionaries is not only commendable but also worthy of universal admiration. As night fell, the valley grew darker, and we rested in Yanmen Township, preparing to admire the magnificent Meili Snow Mountain the next day.