Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nanjing

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nanjing , also known as Shigu Road Cathedral to the locals, is a historical Roman Catholic Church located at 112 Shigu Road in Nanjing, China. First built in 1870 during the Qing dynasty, it was later severly damaged during the and had to be rebuilt by the Chinese government in 1928. Since the 1930's it has served as the cathedral for the and is the only Catholic church within the city of Nanjing today. In 1982 it was also listed as a Jiangsu Provincial Historic Site.

Beginnings

The first church in Nanjing was established by the Italian Jesuit one of the first missionaries to China, Matteo Ricci, in 1599 on one of the three occasions that he came to Nanjing. He bought up a private residence on the west side of the city at a place called Luosi Zhuanwan , and with some minor modifications it was soon a centre of religious activities. It was not to last long however, for in 1618 there was an imperial decree banning the practice of Catholicism and the church was torn down.

Reconstruction

In 1870 a new church was built by the French Jesuit Adriend de Carere on a larger site that included the former site of Ricci's church and also the ruins of an old Buddhist temple. It was consecrated as the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. During the Northern Expedition War it suffered severe damages and was even used as a stables for a period of time. Afterwards, in 1928 it was restored by the National Government and it's appearance today is much the same as it was after this last restoration, despite having been somewhat damaged and closed as well during the Cultural Revolution.