Northern Cathedral

By china tour on 2009-11-25 9:01:00 | Beijing Tours

The Northern Cathedral, known as Church of the Sacred Heart, is now the biggest church in Beijing. It is firstly built under the direction a French missionary in 1887 the period of Emperor Guangxu in Qing Dynasty. The church was formerly the centre of a great complex of schools, orphanages and hospitals. Sitting in well-tended gardens with old tress and meandering pathways, the church enjoys peaceful and delightful atmosphere. A large residence exists at the back of the church where several priests live.
The Church is very famous for its grand architecture. It is in typical Gothic style. Two pavilions with glazed green tile on the roof werer built on each side in front of the church. Stone columns and stone lions made the church more magnificent. Unlike the southern cathedral this church did not survive the Cultural Revolution unscathed. Until 1985, it was remedied and open to public again.
Address:     33 Xishiku Dajie Xi' anmen, Xicheng District
To get there:  Take bus routes 103 or 109 to Fuyoujie Station.
Subway Line 2 Fuchengmen (阜成门) Station
Mass Times:  Mass times vary, 8.00am on a Sunday is the safest bet.