The Cathedral of St. Victor

The Cathedral of St. Victor, also known as the Xiashan Catholic Cathedral, is a majestic and solemn church surrounded by trees and flowers. It is the only Gothic church in Zhanjiang and also one of the main churches in China.

The construction of the cathedral started in 1900 and was completed in 1903. It has a floor area of 985 square meters and is a brick-and-stone concrete structure with two pointed towers. As the hall can hold up to 1,000 people, it was the biggest Gothic cathedral in South China at that time.

Catholicism was introduced into Zhanjiang when the French imperialists invaded Kuangchowan (today's Zhanjiang). In 1900, a French priest proposed that a cathedral be built, and the Catholic Church raised funds for the construction, finally the construction started in 1903.

The cathedral, located in the French concession, is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Roman. In 1925, it became part of the Diocese of Beihai. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1977), the cathedral was greatly damaged. It was later restored and then returned to the Church and reopened on on December 20, 1984. In 1990, the diocese of Zhanjiang was officially established. The cathedral is now used as the residence of the bishop and the catholic missionary center in Zhanjiang.

Address: 85, Lvyin Road, Xiashan district, Zhanjiang city

How to get there: Take Bus No 2/No 12 and get off at the Xiashan Stop.