Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Hangzhou, China

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at 415 Zhongshan Road North near Wulin Square, was built in 1661 by the Italian Jesuit Martino Martini. Its Romanesque design has three naves divided by two rows of columns; the side altars held statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the central altar was for the worship of Christ. Large frescoes painted by Chinese artists in the Chinese brush style cover the interior walls.

An Italian Jesuit named Martino Martini founded the cathedral in 1661, making it one of the earliest Catholic religious structures in Zhejiang province. The Kangxi Emperor later supported major repairs and had an inscription placed to acknowledge imperial approval for the building.

The cathedral's interior frescoes were painted by Chinese artists in the Chinese brush style, though their subjects came from standard Western imagery such as the conversion of St. Paul and the conversion of the emperor Constantine. The Jesuit Charles Le Gobien recorded this in his Histoire de l'édit de l'empereur de la Chine.

The cathedral is easily reached by public transportation and sits in a central area of the city that you can explore on foot. Visitors should plan their visit around service times since these are moments when the space is actively used and most welcoming to guests.

The cathedral's 1661 frescoes were painted by Chinese artists in the Chinese brush style, though their subjects were standard Western scenes such as the conversion of St. Paul and the conversion of Emperor Constantine. The Jesuit Charles Le Gobien recorded this detail in his Histoire de l'édit de l'empereur de la Chine.