Xuanwumen Catholic Church (宣武门教堂)

Located at No. 141 Qianmen West Street in Xicheng District of Beijing, Xuanwumen Catholic Church is known to the locals as the South Cathedral. It is the oldest Catholic cathedral in Beijing constructed in 1605. The extant three-storey building in Baroque style was built in 1904.
In the 33rd of the region of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1605), Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci constructed the chapel. Then in the 7th year of the region of Emperor Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1650), German Jesuit Johann Adam Schall von Bell rebuilt the chapel, which was reestablished again in the 51st year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1713). However, it was severely damaged by a fire disaster in the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1775), and was restored in the following year. When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in Beijing in 1900, the church was razed to the ground again. The buildings we see today were built in the 30th year of the region of Emperor Guangxu the Qing Dynasty (1904).