Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Datong

Church in Shanxi, China
40°05′30″N 113°18′00″E / 40.09167°N 113.30000°E / 40.09167; 113.30000LocationDatong, Shanxi, ChinaDenominationRoman CatholicHistoryStatusParish churchFounded1889 (1889)ArchitectureFunctional statusActiveArchitectural typeChurch buildingStyleNeoclassical architectureCompleted1906 (reconstruction)Demolished1900SpecificationsMaterialsGraniteAdministrationDioceseRoman Catholic Diocese of DatongChinese nameSimplified Chinese大同圣母圣心堂Traditional Chinese大同聖母聖心堂
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDàtóng Shèngmǔ Shèngxīn Táng

Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Datong (Chinese: 大同圣母圣心堂) is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Datong, Shanxi, China.[1]

History

Construction of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, designed by Franciscan missionaries from Italy, commenced in 1889 and was completed in 1891.[1] It was burned by a catastrophic fire in 1900 during the Boxer Uprising, causing many casualties in the Christian community in the area.[1] It was restored in 1906 in a neoclassical architecture style.[1]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Datong was set up in 1922 and came under the leadership of the CICM Missionaries.[1]

During the Cultural Revolution, the church was severely damaged by the Red Guards, while Christians were hunted by the Communists.[1] Both bell towers collapsed.[1] And the church was used as a workshop.[1] It underwent two renovations, respectively in 1982 and 2006.[1] Two 17-metre (56 ft) high bell towers were added to the church.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Niu Minyue (牛民悦) (25 September 2006). 大同教区总堂喜迎百年庆典. xinde.org (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 July 2021.

Further reading

  • Kejia, Yan (1 January 2004). Catholic Church in China [中国天主教]. ISBN 9787508505992.
  • Ping, Liu (1 August 2014). 中国天主教艺术简史 [Brief History of Chinese Catholic Art] (in Chinese). Beijing: China Fortune Press. ISBN 9787504751430.