The Shrine of the Sacred Heart is located in Guangzhou City, in its old part, on the banks of the Pearl River. It is the largest Roman Catholic temple in China. The height of its towers reaches sixty metres and the temple covers an area of 2,700 square metres.
The cathedral was built in the late nineteenth century by the French architect Guillemin. The neo-Gothic style building was begun in 1861. The construction was financed by Emperor Napoleon III and private donations from the French. The first stone set in the foundation of the cathedral was brought specially from Jerusalem, and in turn was backfilled with a kilogram of earth delivered from another majestic city - Rome.
Construction lasted nearly a quarter of a century and was completed in 1888. During the work, the engineers constantly faced opposition from the local population, who did not accept the new faith. In addition, the work was hampered by the lack of skilled labourers and good equipment.
The facade of the building almost exactly copies the Basilica of St Clotilde, a Catholic church in Paris built in 1857. On either side of the main facade are two large towers. One of the towers contains four bells brought specially from France. And on the second one, a huge clock is installed. The stained glass windows inside the cathedral are in the Neo-Gothic style.
Despite its location, the architecture of the church has been virtually unaffected by Chinese influence. The cathedral has retained its classical appearance. The Chinese nicknamed the temple the "stone house" because of the granite that became the main building material. It is one of the few cathedrals in the world built entirely of this stone.
Today, the Sacred Heart Cathedral is the representative office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Guangzhou. And, of course, fulfils all the functions of a regular Catholic church.
