Photography The North Church in Beijing

A black-and-white photograph showing the Christ the Redeemer Church (Jiushizhutang 救世主堂), also known as the North Church (Beitang 北堂), which is one of the four largest Catholic churches in Beijing today.

The church was moved from its original location and rebuilt in 1887 during the construction of the Zhongnanhai Imperial Park (中南海) at the request of Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908). The Gothic church, with its gray marble façade, was completed in 1890 under the direction of the Lazarist missionary Bishop Pierre-Marie-Alphonse Favier (1837–1905). It stands in a spacious setting surrounded by pines, oaks and Chinese pavilions. It is located in the Xicheng district (Xichengqu 西城區). The church belongs to the official Patriotic Catholic Church in China (Zhongguo Tianzhujiao Aiguohui 中國天主教愛國會), which was founded by the People’s Republic of China in 1957 and remains the only officially recognised Catholic Church in China.

Extensive construction of larger churches in Beijing began in implementation of the 1901 Boxer Protocol (Xinchou Tiaoyue辛丑條約) agreements that, among other things, guaranteed the rights of foreigners to perform religious ceremonies.

The photograph is the 56th of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Pei-Tang ( Nord Kirche ). (DZ,MV))