Description of the attraction
St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral is an old neo-Gothic building also known as Xujiahui Cathedral. The cathedral is located in Shanghai, and since 1950 it has been the cathedral of the Shanghai diocese. The construction of this building was carried out by French Jesuit monks at the end of the 19th century. The author of the project was the architect William Doyle. The cathedral is consecrated in honor of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order).
The cathedral acquired its present form in 1910. During its long life, the cathedral has undergone many changes. For example, during the Cultural Revolution, it was completely closed to parishioners, since the building was seriously damaged: the spiers were torn off, all the stained-glass windows were broken and the ceiling was dismantled. It is also noteworthy that over the next decade, the premises of the temple were used as a granary. And from 1979 to the present day - the temple is active, here Masses are regularly held, including for children. More than 12,000 parishioners gather in this place for Easter and Christmas.
The building of the cathedral looks majestic. There are two bell towers attached to the temple, each of which reaches 50 meters in height. Inside the temple there is a large hall, 19 altars and 64 columns of carved stone. The facade of the cathedral is decorated with a statue of Jesus.
In Shanghai, this cathedral is the largest Christian church. In the period from 2002 to 2010, the building was overhauled, it was completely restored. Now the temple is an important landmark of the city.
