Jiaxing Catholic Church, Gothic Catholic church in Jiaxing, China.
Jiaxing Catholic Church is a late Gothic brick-and-concrete church oriented south to north, with two 37-meter bell towers at the south end, a nave crossed by a transept to form a Latin cross, and an apse. The facade uses simplified pointed arches; the interior has Ionic columns with small angel figures and colorful floor tiles. A 675 kg cast-iron bell from Paris hangs in the tower.
An Italian priest named Angelo-Joseph Asinelli designed the building, which was constructed between 1917 and 1930 with support from a Shanghai philanthropist. The completion of this project marked the end of an ambitious building phase that reflected growing connections between the cities.
The church represents a meeting point between European religious design and Chinese construction methods from the early 1900s. Walking through it, visitors notice how Western religious traditions and local building skills came together in the same structure.
The building is easy to explore on foot and its Gothic details are clearly visible from the outside. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when sunlight highlights the architectural features.
The building was officially recognized by the Zhejiang provincial government in 2005 as a protected cultural site. This recognition shows that local authorities valued its importance to the city's story.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,028 contributors worldwide.