St Joseph's Cathedral - Tientsin - 1917
Rue de Marachel Foch, French Concession.
Roman Catholicism was introduced to the Chinese at Tientsin by French missionaries and the church has had somewhat of a chequered past in this northern port city and treaty port. In 1870, following reports amongst the local people that French nuns at an Orphan Asylum were selling little girls and cutting out the eyes of the boys to make foreign medicine, a mob rioted, destroyed foreign property and churches and massacred 21 foreigners, including 10 French nuns and an unknown number of Chinese converts; this event became known as the 'Tientsin Massacre'.
Even at the time of this church's construction, it aroused controversy; many patriotic movements in the city calls on residents and shopkeepers to boycott currency issued by the French banks in Tientsin to protest what it saw as a foreign building in the city. Indeed, a detachment of French troops were on permanent standby during the construction to guard against trouble-makers and other agitators. Notwithstanding the protests, St Joseph's Cathedral was built in the Romanesque Revival style and features twin domed towers - just visible in my shot. Given the position of the sun at the time, this photo was taken from the side and shows the banded red and yellow brickwork which gives the building its distinctive colour.
It remains the focus of Roman Catholic worship in the city and is known locally known as "Xikai Church" (formerly Hsi Kai Church") or the "French Church".
St Joseph's Cathedral - Tientsin - 1917
Rue de Marachel Foch, French Concession.
Roman Catholicism was introduced to the Chinese at Tientsin by French missionaries and the church has had somewhat of a chequered past in this northern port city and treaty port. In 1870, following reports amongst the local people that French nuns at an Orphan Asylum were selling little girls and cutting out the eyes of the boys to make foreign medicine, a mob rioted, destroyed foreign property and churches and massacred 21 foreigners, including 10 French nuns and an unknown number of Chinese converts; this event became known as the 'Tientsin Massacre'.
Even at the time of this church's construction, it aroused controversy; many patriotic movements in the city calls on residents and shopkeepers to boycott currency issued by the French banks in Tientsin to protest what it saw as a foreign building in the city. Indeed, a detachment of French troops were on permanent standby during the construction to guard against trouble-makers and other agitators. Notwithstanding the protests, St Joseph's Cathedral was built in the Romanesque Revival style and features twin domed towers - just visible in my shot. Given the position of the sun at the time, this photo was taken from the side and shows the banded red and yellow brickwork which gives the building its distinctive colour.
It remains the focus of Roman Catholic worship in the city and is known locally known as "Xikai Church" (formerly Hsi Kai Church") or the "French Church".