Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Xujiakui
Right next door are the soaring twin towers and flying buttresses of the French Gothic
1-4pm, Sun 2-4pm; Mass (in Chinese) weekdays 7am, Sat 7am and 6pm, Sun 6am,
7.30am, 10am and 6pm). Originally called the Cathedral of St Ignatius, after the founder of
the Society of Jesus order, the church has remained essentially unchanged since 1910, with
the notable exception of the dramatic amputation of its 50m (165ft) twin spires and the de-
struction of all of its stained-glass windows during the Cultural Revolution.
The spires have been reconstructed, and new stained-glass windows created by a glass
studio operated by nuns have been installed. The new panels feature Chinese images
rendered as traditional papercuts, including a large rose window featuring a phoenix surroun-
ded by the Chinese zodiac. Look high on the cathedral's exterior to see some charming gar-
goyles peering down.
