Xuhui Catholic Church

Transportation: Subway Xujiahui Station -Basic Information: Xuhui Catholic Church, officially known as St. Ignatius Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Shanghai, located at 158 Puxi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai. -History: In 1851, the missionary Nan Gelu established the old St. Ignatius Cathedral. At the end of the 19th century, due to the increasing number of Catholics, the old church could no longer meet the needs. In 1904, the British architect W.M. Dowdall began to design the new church, which officially started construction in 1906 and was completed on October 22, 1910. -Architectural Features: The church is a French Gothic twin-spire building, five stories high, with a brick and wood structure. It covers an area of 6,670 square meters, with a cruciform layout. The main hall is 79 meters high and 28 meters wide, accommodating more than 3,000 people. The church has red brick exterior walls, bluestone plinths, and 64 pillars inside, each formed by ten small round columns. The floor is paved with square bricks, the aisles with patterned ceramic tiles, and the central and side aisles have four-pointed ribbed vaults made of wood and plaster. -Religious and Cultural Activities: Xuhui Catholic Church is an important religious site, holding seven religious activities on weekdays, such as baptism, confirmation, and confession. On important festivals such as Easter and Pentecost, High Mass is celebrated. In addition, the church also hosts cultural events such as concerts and art exhibitions.