St Joseph’s Church

A crowning edifice on Wangfujing Dajie, and one of Běijīng’s four principal churches, St Joseph’s Church is also known locally as the East Cathedral. Originally built during the reign of Shunzhi in 1655, it was damaged by an earthquake in 1720 and reconstructed. The luckless church also caught fire in 1807, was destroyed again in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion and restored in 1904, only to be shut in 1966. Now fully repaired, the church is a testament to the long history of Christianity in China. A large piazza in front swarms with children playing; white doves photogenically flutter about and Chinese models in bridal outfits wait for the sun to emerge before posing for magazine shots. The church is generally shut, but if you want to see the interior, turn up for morning Mass. You may want to avoid being pressganged into buying tacky oils from the art museum behind the church.