St. Joseph's Church is located onWangfujingAvenue-the city center of Beijing. Originally built in 1655, it is one of the best preserved religious sites and the second oldest Catholic Church in the city.

The church is also known as the East Church, or Wangfujing Catholic Church. Its gray Gothic structure has endured a torrid history. The present building was rebuilt in 1904 on the ruins of the burned church. Prior to the construction of the new church, the former building was the Church of Saint Joseph's Church and was built in 1655, the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The church was damaged in 1720 by an earthquake and reconstructed. Then it was destroyed in 1807 by fire and in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, and reconstructed respectively.

In the 1980s, large-scale repairs and maintenance were carried out by the government for St. Joseph's Church. Occupying an area of 2,387 square meters, the church underwent its latest renovation in 2011. In front of the church is a square of 1.2 hectares, where stands a statue of the Madonna and Child, with children playing, elderly folk resting and newlyweds posing for photographs. Trees and grass were planted there and various lighting facilities were installed to show off the gorgeous building at night.

Located on prosperous Wangfujing Avenue, the church appears more mystical and antique surrounded by modern buildings, and made it to be a new highlight on Wangfujing Avenue which becomes a new scenic spot on any Beijing tour.

Address:

74 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

How to get there by subway:

Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Wangfujing station. Go north along Wangfujing pedestrian street for 10 minutes, where the church is on your right.

Source: CITS