Weizhou Shengtang Catholic Church

Shengtang Catholic Church is a typical French Renaissance Gothic building and one of the four major Catholic churches in the late Qing Dynasty. It is a must-see attraction on the island. The old church has not been processed or rebuilt, and the building materials are all taken from the coral, rock and lime on the island, which is very special. The exterior of the church seems to have seen the shadow of old Shanghai in the 1920s. Once you enter, you will feel quiet and contemplative.

Catholic Church

Very close to the inn

Five minutes’ walk to



The Catholic Church is a typical French Renaissance Gothic building.

One of the four major Catholic churches in the late Qing Dynasty



There is a small garden on the right side of the church.

Small but small

But it makes people feel comfortable

And every day you can see different people taking photos in the garden



Many newlyweds also take wedding photos near the church.

Shengtang Catholic Church of Weizhou Island is located in Shengtang Village of Weizhou Island. It is one of the "Four Major Catholic Churches in the Late Qing Dynasty". The church was built by French missionaries from Paris in 1853. It took 10 years to complete. The main building is well preserved. The entire building is mainly made of coral sedimentary rocks on the seabed and built with careful mechanical design. It is a typical French Gothic church in the Renaissance period. The towering Romanesque spire has the momentum of "hitting the sky", creating an illusion of "the mystery of heaven". The church is 13.5 meters high, 56 meters long and 17 meters wide. It is built entirely of rocks, coral grains and bamboo tiles. The building area is 1,500 square meters and the church can accommodate 1,500 believers.

I arrived at the Catholic Church before 19:00. Why did I have to rush there before 19:00? Because the girls in Weizhou Town told us that usually around 19:00, local residents would pray there, and there would be choirs singing. Unfortunately, on the first day of the Chinese New Year, the church door was closed! No one was praying! Did Jesus humanely give everyone a holiday during the Chinese New Year?

Hidden in a lush green grove of banana and jackfruit trees, it is the most magnificent church in the "Leilian" area in the late Qing Dynasty.

The inn we stayed in was very close to the Catholic Church, and it took about ten minutes to get there by electric donkey. However, at the crossroads about one kilometer away from the church, locals blocked the road and collected tolls. I had become accustomed to this unspoken rule from reading various travel notes; all I had to do was park my car, pay, and leave.

Walking to the church, the retro exterior shows the baptism of time, and the magnificent interior conveys elegance;

Walk from the side door to the backyard, this is definitely a good place to take pictures

Ding Ding said that when he came to Weizhou Island many years ago, this church was like this and it has not changed.

We were stopped by an islander at the main road leading to the church. He said that the tram could not drive into the scenic area. I told him that we were going to buy medicine, so he let us ride in and said with a smile, "Special circumstances require special treatment!" ~ Hehe, the islander uncle is still quite cute~~

To be honest, this church is the most beautiful one I have ever seen. It has a kind of beauty that is marked by time. The mottled walls, the blackened white walls, and the not-so-new interior all give this place a special sense of vicissitudes...

I heard that the church can hold weddings. I really like it here.

The Catholic Church is located in Shengtang Village, Weizhou Island, and is one of the "Four Major Catholic Churches in the Late Qing Dynasty". The church was built by French missionaries from Paris in 1853, and it took 10 years to complete. The main building is well preserved, and it is a historical witness to the integration and symbiosis of Chinese and Western cultures. The entire building is mainly made of underwater coral sedimentary rocks and built with careful mechanical design. It is a typical French Gothic church during the Renaissance. The towering Romanesque spire has the momentum of "hitting the sky", creating an illusion of "the mystery of heaven", which is unique.

This is also a core area of the island, with many small shops around. After all, it is a church, so it is natural that people come and go. In the church, thinking of such a remote island in the South China Sea, there is still such a gorgeous church, I still sigh at the power of religion. There is also a unique fountain in the backyard.

If you just come to check in, 5 minutes is enough. However, reading the text description next to the church, you can learn about the history and beliefs of the island, which increases your favorability towards the church.

The Catholic Annex is a bit run-down. It is in a small village. In fact, it is not far from the entrance of the scenic spot to the scenic spot. You can walk there. There is no need to take the bus to the scenic spot. There is only one church in the annex. There are some places to take photos at the back, but that's it. You can find a spot to go there~

Shengtang Catholic Church is a feature of Weizhou Island. It is worth a visit, especially on a sunny day, when you look up at the Catholic Church, the blue sky and gray walls are quite solemn.

It was a magnificent Catholic church, but since it was not Sunday, there was no service.

Reference time: 40 minutes

Shengtang Catholic Church is a typical French Renaissance Gothic building and one of the four major Catholic churches in the late Qing Dynasty.

I came here on an electric bike, just to learn some knowledge.

A major tourist attraction on Weizhou Island. Although it is far from the European churches, it still reflects the wisdom of the people at that time!

There are fewer tourists in the morning, so the pictures are better.

It is a very old building, some parts are dilapidated and it is not very large.

There is a courtyard, a fountain, lawns and flowers inside. It is a great place to take wedding photos. It is said that there is a choir singing at 1:00 p.m. every day, but we missed it.

Although I am not a believer, the words on the walls of the church are all about teaching people to be good and beautiful. Reading them carefully can cleanse your soul.

There weren't many people, maybe it was the off-season. The milk tea I'll see you tomorrow is really expensive.

The island is a place for weddings and funerals, so the income should be good, and it is beautifully built.

Shengtang Catholic Church is located in Shengtang Village. No outside vehicles are allowed to enter. You can only take a 20-yuan round-trip tour bus from the outer tourist center, or you can walk more than 1 kilometer to enter.

There are many churches of various sizes on the island.

They are all very old and have not been repaired much.

This is the largest and best preserved one.

The church and the courtyard behind it are both great for taking photos.

We were taking wedding photos inside so we mainly took photos outside.

After watching the car in the morning, the sun rose and the door was not open yet. It was very quiet inside.

Located in the center of Weizhou Island, the weather doesn't matter when photographing the building. It is recommended to go when the weather is bad, so as not to waste the good weather on the building. The choir has one in the morning and one in the afternoon every day. The morning is 11:30, and I don't remember the afternoon... The church itself is a more solemn place. I am not a believer, so I basically didn't stay and take too many photos. I just took two photos and left...

It would be even better if you are lucky enough to encounter a worship service or a choir in a purely humanistic church.

I listened to the singing and it felt quite magical and peaceful. It would be better if the believers who sang the hymns could pay more attention.

When you walk in, it does feel like a church, but there are a lot of Buddhist-related words on the walls, which is a bit distracting. There is also a courtyard next to the church, which is quite exquisite.

Because there were so many people, electric cars were not allowed to drive into the scenic area and could only be parked in the tourist service area, which was about 1.5 kilometers away from the church.

There are also privately contracted paid parking spaces where you can use an electric vehicle to pull in, but it’s not worth it!

There are so many people!

Personally, I think the density of people is second only to Crocodile Mountain...

Personally, I think the viewing experience is extremely bad!

Simplified attractions…

Most of the locals on the island are Catholics. This church is not only a tourist attraction but also a place for locals to worship. There are choir performances every day. It feels great to sit quietly in the church and listen to the choir performances. It makes you calm down. Every Sunday, the church will be closed for a few hours for locals to worship, and no one is allowed to be disturbed.

When I first arrived at the Catholic church, someone was holding a wedding inside. The church gave people a very solemn and sacred feeling. It is not advisable to take many photos inside the church, but there are still a few places outside the church that are suitable for taking photos.

The hall of the church is filled with European style, and its area is larger than many famous churches I have seen in Europe before.

The sunlight shines through the colorful glass into the prayer hall, giving the solemn and dignified church a layer of mysterious and holy glow.

Behind the church is an exquisite garden, surrounded by low-rise houses. The mottled walls exude an ancient sense of vicissitudes, which is the whisper of time. The flowers are full of vitality. Against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, the ancient and the young are mixed together, creating a unique flavor.

Shengtang Church is a Gothic building. Its unique architectural lines make it a unique landscape on Weizhou Island. It is now one of the must-see attractions for tourists. Outside the building, you can feel the ups and downs that the church has experienced on this land and the passage of time. It is also a good experience to sit down and listen to the church's worship performances quietly.

You really have to go to the church early, otherwise you will be drowned in the group tours, and you won't have the chance to take pictures or enjoy the view in peace. The church has now been enclosed as a scenic spot, and there are three roads to the church, two of which are closed at 8:00 and charge a fee. Electric vehicles are not allowed to enter, and you can only walk 5 minutes to the church.

You can avoid the toll gate by following the main road on the left side of the church. When you arrive at the church, find a snack bar where you can eat and park for free.

It is actually a relatively ordinary chapel. Its main feature is that it is made of special coral stone and is located on a remote island.

The church is very quiet and there is a choir, which can calm your heart. It is recommended!

The Gothic architecture, whose main building materials were taken from the island, is worth savoring. For people like us who have no religious beliefs, the noise and secularity in the courtyard are probably the focus of our attention, compared with the sacredness in the church.

I waited for the choir to start at 11:30 and was a little disappointed because the choir was singing very softly and I couldn't hear what they were singing. There were still quite a lot of people in the church and it was a bit hot, so I quickly took a photo and left.

The exterior of Shengtang Catholic Church is in stark contrast to the warmth and solemnity inside, but both are so beautiful that people can't put them in words... Every angle around the church is so charming... It makes people always want to stop and take a good look...

A typical French Renaissance Gothic building, one of the four major Catholic churches in the late Qing Dynasty. The old church has not been processed or rebuilt, and the building materials are all taken from the coral, rock and lime on the island, which is very special. The exterior of the church seems to be the shadow of old Shanghai in the 1920s. Once you enter, you will feel quiet and contemplative. When we entered, it seemed that the choir had just finished singing. If you don't want to miss it, you can ask the locals.

Because the church is located in Shengtang Village on Weizhou Island, it is called Shengtang Catholic Church. The church was built in 1869 and is a typical French Renaissance Gothic building.

The roads on the island are not well built. We drove to the church in a convertible. The road was not easy to drive along. The road was narrow and bumpy. We also took the wrong road, but there were many different views along the way, which were also very attractive.

I have seen countless famous and unknown churches around the world. I never thought that there is such an ancient French Gothic church standing on Weizhou Island. The key is that this church has existed for nearly 150 years, which is incredible.

There are many people near the Catholic Church, many restaurants and shops, which is more lively than the area near Wucai Beach. We did not visit the surrounding shops, but only admired the beautiful Catholic Church.

Many tourists will take photos here. It is quite lively nearby, with some snack bars and a seafood market.

At 7:30 on the 28th, I went to the church, the second stop of the day, but it didn’t open until 8:00, so I gave up.

It costs five dollars to park at the door of the church. In fact, you can just park your car in a small street in the village next to it and don't have to pay this money.

There are still a lot of people in the church, and I can't feel the quiet solemnity.

The Catholic Church does not require tickets, but some rules need to be followed, such as taking off hats, not shouting, etc. And this is actually a functioning church, Catholic residents on the island still come here to pray, and occasionally there is a choir.

There is a fairly large garden in the backyard of the church where you can rest and take photos. There is also a house with many flowers planted on the walls, and many young people take photos here.

I think it can be considered one of the top three scenic spots in Weizhou Island. The buildings are relatively historical and there are several good places that are very suitable for taking photos.

There is a particularly large tree at the entrance. After entering the church, there is a small door on the right. When you walk in, you can see some large trees and old houses. I heard from the people next to me that this church and the buildings next to it were built with stones transported from the sea, and they all have a history.

The church is very beautiful and has a heavy sense of history. There are many homestays around it, as well as Shengtang Village Market. There are several seafood stores that are very affordable, about 5 yuan per pound cheaper than the big market at the foot of the mountain. The surrounding stores all have processed seafood. It is a very nice place to eat and play!

It is said to be one of the "Four Major Catholic Churches in the Late Qing Dynasty" and is hidden deep in a small village called Shengtang Village.

The blue bricks are mottled and show age, but the glazed windows are still bright.

There is a small garden behind the church, uh, just stroll around.

This is a truly sacred place. The ancient building is well preserved. There are only a few tourists in the church. I didn't see any worshippers, but I could still feel its sacredness and solemnity.

The church is not big, and the surrounding environment is surprisingly good. The details have been repaired with great care, which complements this pure land.

I didn't find any services in the scenic area, but the buildings and courtyards are worth seeing, and it is very convenient to enter and exit the scenic area.

I love this kind of Gothic architecture. There is a bell tower on the top of the main entrance with a Romanesque spire. Because it is a mainstream tourist attraction, there are crowds of people here, and it is not easy to take a photo. The Catholic Church has two hymn singings every day from 11:30 to 12:00 and 15:30 to 16:00. Friends who are interested can go there to watch. Although the Catholic Church is not big, it is quite exquisite inside, and the Catholic murals in the window grilles are very beautiful. The difference between the Catholic Church and other churches is that it has a back garden, a flower-like back garden, which is very suitable for literary young people to take pictures here. The external wall of the church looks particularly historical because of wind and rain, and it is also particularly suitable as a background wall for characters. The Catholic back garden, it's a pity that the weather is not good, otherwise it would be more beautiful. In a corner of the back garden, there is a very beautiful flower wall, and the other side of the flower wall is a stone wall which is also very distinctive.

The must-see attractions on Weizhou Island include the popular flower wall, which is suitable for taking photos

If you have more time, you can go and see it. The churches are all similar, but smaller than those in other places.

I can never resist those old buildings.

A very distinctive scenic spot. In addition to the church, the garden in the scenic area is very beautiful and suitable for taking photos.

Walking around casually, the church still gives people a sense of awe

At the entrance to the church, there is a sign that says: No outsiders are allowed to drive in before 5:30pm. Well, just pretend to be a local or someone who lives there, don't stop, and drive in with confidence...

How should I put it? This church has raised my overall level of understanding of the public facilities and environment of Weizhou Island! The lobby of the church did not surprise me too much, but the whole church left a very good impression on me. How should I put it? I can feel the vitality of life. It is clean and well-arranged. This is really the difference between having faith and not having faith.

If you ride an e-donkey, someone will ask you to park at the entrance to the church and tell you that you are not allowed to go in. Just ignore him and rush in. They just want to collect parking fees. There will also be someone charging under the tree near the church. There is also free parking opposite. Be careful not to be deceived by the people at the door.

The church is very suitable for taking photos. I had seen this when looking up travel guides before, so I specially brought a white veil and bouquet to take photos. As a result, I couldn’t relax at all inside.

Shengtang Catholic Church is a typical French Renaissance Gothic building and one of the four major Catholic churches in the late Qing Dynasty. All the building materials were taken from the corals and rocks on the island, which has a sense of historical vicissitudes and is very special.

The church was built in 1853 and is well preserved. As soon as you walk in, your heart becomes quiet and even your voice is consciously lowered by a few decibels.

The church looks very old, probably intentionally keeping the weathered feeling. There is not much to visit around it, and I can only say that it looks good in photos.

The Holy Church is a very ordinary Catholic church with good greenery inside. You can pose for photos anywhere and the environment is very good. If you dress like a local instead of a tourist, you can ride an electric bike directly to the church. If you are discovered, you can only park your car at the visitor center or the entrance of the scenic area and let someone look after you. Parking at the visitor center is free, but parking at the entrance costs 3 yuan.

We walked almost around the island and arrived at the Catholic Church. I wonder if it was the blue sky that lit up the Catholic Church. When I first saw it, I felt that it was majestic and stood out from the surrounding buildings.

There were not many people in the Catholic Church at dusk. It had a sense of historical vicissitudes, quiet and beautiful, which made people feel awe! We only took a few photos in a hurry because it was almost time for the church to close.

The backyard is a small garden and an abandoned building, which must have been where the believers lived in the past. However, the colorful flowers planted in this building are quite charming.

It was the off-season when I went there, so there were few people. I felt that the church was still in its original state, with a sense of historical vicissitudes, which was very shocking. The roads in the courtyard were paved with coral stones, which was very unique and worth a visit.

Shengtang Catholic Church is a beautiful place, filled with a pious atmosphere.

A simple church with a small scene next to it is really a paradise for literary youth

It's a scenic spot that can be visited in a quarter of an hour. The church is very old and gray. It seems that the churches here prefer to plant jackfruit trees in front of the door, which are lush and growing well. There are two churches on Weizhou Island. This one is larger and more exquisite, and more suitable for taking pictures. If you don't have enough time, I recommend this one.

Living on the island is about experiencing a slow-paced life. This place can really slow down your mind.

It's an average church. You can't ride electric bikes into it. You have to park outside for 3 yuan each. It takes about 10 minutes to walk in. The church feels like it's in a village, and the surroundings are messy. There's nothing special about the church itself, but you can go and see the back garden, which is pretty.

The product of the collision between local culture and Western culture, the architecture has a strong local flavor.

It feels good. When you are in a heavy mood, you can come here to relieve stress.