Why Travel with Discover Beijing Tours
Unique Experiences
Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
Well-Selected Local Guides
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive — your personal local guides will share interesting stories, insider information, and even create unexpected highlights!
Your Booking is Risk-Free
Cancel up to 24 hours before the travel date in advance for a full refund
Beijing South Cathedral
Mass Time
Saturday Vigil Mass, 18:30 Chinese (youth mass);
Sunday Mass, 06:00 (Latin), 07:00 & 08:30 (Chinese), 10:30 (English), 12:30 (Italian, Spanish Readings), 16:00 & 18:00 (Chinese);
Daily Mass: 06:00 (Latin), 06:30 & 07:15 (Chinese)
Admission Fee
Free
Xuanwumen Catholic Church, also known as the South Cathedral. It is the oldest Catholic cathedral in Beijing. It was on this site that P. Matteo Ricci first built a small scripture hall in 1605 (Wanli 33rd Year of Ming Dynasty), which was later rebuilt by the German Jesuit priest J.A. Schall von Bell in 1650. This structure became the first church in Beijing city proper.
The South Cathedral was first built in 1601 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to house foreign Jesuits. The Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci lived here, he bought the Shoushan Academy neighboring to the Jesuits’ residence bestowed by the emperor. In 1605, Matteo Ricci reconstructed the academy into a chapel. In 1650, the German Jesuit Johann Adam Schall von Bell expanded the chapel into a small church. Unfortunately, the church was severely damaged by two earthquakes and a fire disaster afterwards. When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in Beijing in 1900, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was razed to the ground again. The Baroque style structure we see today was built in 1904.
