Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Taiyuan, Roman Catholic cathedral in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Romanesque Revival church in Taiyuan, facing west with a Latin cross plan. It is 70 m long, 34 m wide and 20 m tall, with two 35.7 m bell towers flanking the façade. The brick building is rusty red, and its façade has six square pillars with Chinese-style capitals.
The building began as a small chapel in 1635 founded by Jesuit missionary Michel Trigault. It was reconstructed in 1870 and again in 1902 after suffering damage during periods of religious conflict.
The name refers to the Immaculate Conception, the Marian doctrine to which the cathedral is dedicated. Its facade mixes a simplified Romanesque Revival layout with Chinese-style pillar capitals, and the seven steps before the entrance and seven-petalled arched windows are read as symbols of the seven sacraments. The red brick exterior is linked by local authors to the believers killed in 1900.
The cathedral faces west on Jiefang Road in Xinghualing District. The main central door opens only on feast days; use the smaller side doors for regular entry. The nave seats over 3,000 people, and the site covers 16,860 m².
The building's reddish color holds deep meaning as it serves as a memorial to clergy who died during conflicts around 1900. This color choice makes the structure recognizable while honoring those who lost their lives.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,092 contributors worldwide.