Beijing Catholic Churches 北京天主教堂 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 北京聖母無原罪堂（南堂）

#beijing #beijingtravel #catholicchurch #jesuits #matteoricci #ferdinandverbiest #immaculateconception #北京天主教堂 Beijing has Catholic churches ? While studying Chinese history at school, I came across names of missionaries with Chinese names such as 利瑪竇 (Matteo Ricci) 湯若望 (Johann Adam Schall von Bell) and 南懷仁 (Ferdinand Verbiest) Not much details were given about the backgrounds and their deeds in China. But in general, these missionaries brought changes and chaos. As I was growing up in Hong Kong still under the colonial rule and studying in a school that were founded by missionary, these foreign missionaries seem to have a veer of mystery. When I found out there is a church in Beijing that was founded by Matteo Ricci, that aroused by curiosity. So I gave it a visit The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (北京聖母無原罪主教座堂) in Beijing was founded by Matteo Ricci in 1605. It is now called the South Church (or Nantang 南堂). Matteo Ricci gained the favor of Wanli Emperor 萬曆帝 of the Ming Dynasty and was granted to live near the current location of the cathedral near Xuanwumen ( 宣武门 ). At that time the church was called the Xuanwumen church 50 years later in 1650, under the new Qing Dynasty, the church was enlarged under the Shunzhi Emperor. In 1703, under the Kangxi Emperor, the church was further enlarged into a European style building. The cathedral was damaged several times by earthquakes. Finally in 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the cathedral was burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1904 to the present form. The cathedral is best known to foreigners in Beijing because English masses are celebrated here. 利瑪竇 Matteo Ricci (1552 - 1610) was an Italian Jesuit who served in the Ming Dynasty court during the Wanli Emperor 萬曆帝. He was the first westerner to be invited into the Forbidden City. He established the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Beijing, the oldest Catholic church in the city. He died and buried in Beijing at the age of 57. 聖方濟·沙勿略 St. Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552),was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus 湯若望 Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591 – 1666) was a German Jesuit, astronomer and instrument-maker, who became a trusted advisor to Shunzhi Emperor 順治帝 of the Qing Dynasty. He was buried in Beijing. 南懷仁 Ferdinand Verbiest Nan Huairen (南懷仁) in Chinese. Kangxi 康熙帝 was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China. He was an accomplished mathematician and astronomer and proved to the court of the Kangxi Emperor that European astronomy was more accurate than Chinese astronomy. He then corrected the Chinese calendar and was later asked to rebuild and re-equip the Beijing Ancient Observatory, being given the roles of Head of the Mathematical Board and Director of the Observatory. 徐日昇 Tomás Pereira (5 November 1646 – 1708) was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary who served at the court of the Kangxi Emperor in Beijing for thirty‑six years. Renowned as a musician, clock maker and interpreter 北京有天主教堂嗎？ 當我在學校學習中國歷史時，我遇到一些傳教士的名字，他們的中文名字是… 利瑪竇 (Matteo Ricci) 湯若望 (Johann Adam Schall von Bell) and 南懷仁 (Ferdinand Verbiest) 文中並未詳細介紹他們的背景以及他們在中國的經驗。 但總的來說，這些傳教士帶來了改變和混亂。 我在仍處於殖民統治下的香港長大，就讀的學校也是由傳教士創辦的， 因此這些外國傳教士似乎帶有一種神秘色彩。 當我發現北京有一座由利瑪竇創立的教堂時，我感到非常好奇。 北京聖母無原罪堂, 由利瑪竇於1605年創建。它現在被稱為南堂 利瑪竇獲得了明朝萬曆皇帝的賞識， 並被賜予居住在現今教堂所在地附近，即宣武門附近。 當時，這座教堂被稱為 宣武門教堂 50年後，即1650年，清朝建立，順治皇帝下令擴建教堂。 1703年，康熙皇帝時期， 教堂再次擴建，建成了歐式風格的建築。 教堂曾多次遭受地震破壞。最終，在1900年義和團運動期間， 教堂被夷為平地。 1904年，教堂以現在的面貌重建。 這座教堂在北京最受外國人歡迎，因為這裡舉行英語彌撒。 利瑪竇（1552-1610）是一位義大利耶穌會士，曾在明朝萬曆皇帝時期服務。 他是第一位被邀請進入紫禁城的西方人。他在北京創建了聖母無原罪主教座堂， 這是北京最古老的天主教堂。他於57歲時在北京去世並葬於此地。 01:20 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 05:10 Stained glass windows 07:42 St Joseph Church