Eastern Church

By china tour on 2009-11-25 9:02:00 | Beijing Tours

Eastern Church, known as St. Michael's Church, is one of the best-preserved religious sites in the heart of Beijing. It was the old French embassy church, quiet, calm, placid  standing in the old legation quarter, a remnant part of Beijing. The East Church was built in 1655 the period of Emperor Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty. It was the second Catholic church built in Beijing after Italian preacher Matteo Ricci built the “South Church” in southern Beijing at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was destoried in 1900, then rebuilt in 1904. The church was closed during the Cultural Revolution in 1958; it reopened in 1989. It is notable for its very fine and original stained glass windows which survive intact.
In the 1980s, large-scale repairs and maintenance were carried out by the government for East Church. The church occupys an area of 2,387 square metres with a front square of 1.2 hectares. Trees and grass were planted and various lighting facilities were installed to show off the gorgeous building at night. It is like a European island in a sea of traditional Chinese architecture or the east church which is a remnant of old European architecture in a sea of new. The gates are often closed so be sure to visit at mass times.
Address:     Jia 13 Dongjiaominxiang, Dongcheng District.
To get there: Take the line one subway to Wangfujing Station. The church is about 500 metres north of the northwest station exit.
Mass Times:  Weekdays 6.30 & 7.00am (Chinese)
Saturday 6.30 & 7.00am (Chinese)
Sunday 6.15 am (Latin) 7.00 & 8.00am (Chinese)