Xujiahui Catholic Church’s two brick-red spires pierce the blue horizon. Though their color is a bit faded these days, they are still a startling sight in this thriving downtown area. To get to the church’s main entrance, you need to walk down a small road in back of XuguangqimuPlaza. Home to an art gallery and lined with gardens, you will rarely see many people on this quiet and secluded road; although, you may occasionally come across a person or two hustling through.

Western missionaries started their activities in Shanghai at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1847, Jesuit missionary, Claude Gotteland, chose to build a small Jesuit church at the northern face of Xujiahui cemetery. With the support of one famed Ming Dynasty official, Xu Guangqi’s, descendants and an other local chrisitan named road, in 1904, he was able to obtain a portion of land to build a newer larger church. The church’s official name was Church of the Virgin Mary for Mother of God. It was designed by W.M. Dowdall and built by the French Shanghai Construction Co. At the time, this was the best architectural team working in Shanghai. The church’s base was constructed in the shape of a cross- the main entrance facing east – and fresh flowers were planted around the church’s sides. Sitting serenely over the alter, the divine statue of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus was shipped over from France before Easter Day in 1919. The opening ceremony and first mass were held when the church was finally finished on October 22, 1910.

First-time church visitors are usually shocked by its grand scale and its magnificent ornamentation. When the church was initially built, it was considered the Church’s buttress in China, and the premier church of the Far East. Over several decades, as the Church continued to develop, a monastery, museum, library, astronomical observatory, and orphanage were all built to the church’s side. These brand new structures have helped cement the Southern Yangtze missionary district.