Beijing Xuanwumen Church

Xuanwumen Church is the oldest Catholic cathedral in Beijing. The temple was built in 1605 in the thirty-third year of the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. In 1650, under the leadership of the German Jesuit monk Johann Adam Schal von Bell, a new church building was built on the site of the Xuanwumen Chapel. In 1703, the cathedral was expanded and renovated, but in 1720 it was completely destroyed by an earthquake. The newly rebuilt church suffered damage from an earthquake in 1730 and a fire in 1775. In 1900, during the uprising, the church was again destroyed.

Thus, only one foundation remains from the original construction, and the current Baroque church building dates back to 1904.