Qingdao Catholic Church

Qingdao Catholic Church, originally called St. Michael Cathedral Church, was designed in a Gothic and Romanesque style by a German architect, Arthur Bialucha. The construction of the church started in 1932 by the Divine Word Missionaries (abbreviated “SVD”, from their Latin name: Societas Verbi Divini), and completed in 1934. The church was closed from the late 1960s and early 1970s, when was during the Great Cultural Revolution in China. And then it was reopened in 1982. Now the church holds weekend services and festive celebrations of Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas.

The church grounds occupy an area of 11,480 square meters, of which about 6,300 square meters are building area. The body of the church is 56 meters high. The Catholic Church is the largest and most opulent church Qingdao.

The Church was mostly built with yellow granite and reinforced concrete, and carved with simple and beautiful textures in the surface. Windows are in semicircular arched shape with smooth lines, simple and solemn. Above the door sets up a huge rose window. On each side stands a clock tower with a height of 56 meters. Each conical spire of them covered red tiles stands with a 4.5-meter high huge cross. There are four large bells in side the tower. When the bell rings, the sound can reach a few miles away. Walking into the church, you will see a bright and spacious hall, which is 18 meters high and can accommodate thousands of people. Colorful glass windows reflect soft light lights. The hall has a corridor at the east and west sides. And there are two large altars and four small altars in the back of the hall.

The cool white interior is interestingly offset by garish pictures and life-size wax models of famous Christians, including a huge mural of a beatific Mary and some simple, tastily clothed Franciscans. The area around this church is also well worth a wander, with old 30s German buildings mixed in with modern Chinese concrete. The cobbled streets leading up to the church are normally filled with local Muslim vendors selling their wares, the meat and octopi on stick look intriguing, and are worth tasting.