The Sheshan Catholic Church in Shanghai, dubbed as the Largest Church in the Far East, is located at the top of Xisheshan Mountain. It was first established by a French missionary in 1871, and was restored several times. The existing church is the one after the expansion in 1925.
This church follows the baroque style, whereas parts of the materials and ornaments adopt Chinese traditional architecture techniques. It is a work of the crystallization of oriental and western cultures. With a harmonic and natural outline, the Sheshan Catholic Church is in harmony with the hill on which it lies. The layout of the church is like a Latin cross. There are 3,000 seats in the church, and it can accommodate up to 4,000 people.
The front altar is made of marbles. The windows are made of colorful glass, and the top is covered with color-glazed tiles. Eight big bells are arrayed in the bell tower in the order of notes. The tower is 38 meters high, and there is a copper Madonna sculpture of over 8 meters high.
The pope named the Sheshan Catholic Church as the Holy Palace in 1942, which made it a Holy Land for pilgrimage of Chinese Catholics. There are 14Kulu(bitter-road) pavilions in the winding alley that stretches from the foot to the peak of the mountain, with an embossment of Jesus suffering in each pavilion, as well as three holy pavilions and a hall. Adherents walk along the winding alley when they come to Sheshan Mountain for pilgrimage.
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