INSPIRING JOURNEY: Eastern Cathedral: The Catholic Church at Wangfujing Street

It is always my first priority to visit a Catholic Church whenever I visit a place for the very first time.

My journey in CHINA especially in BEIJING started more than 3 months ago. During the first week of my stay, there was a long break because it coincided with the celebration of the founding of the new China. Conditions that provided me the opportunity to explore BEIJING.

During my first week in China, I conducted thorough research thru the internet about the interesting places to visit with emphasis on the Catholic Churches in BEIJING.

It is interesting to note that there is a Catholic Church in the busiest street in BEIJING, the WANGFUJING St.

After familiarizing myself from riding the SUBWAY TRAIN up to how to go to the WANGFUJING ST., I finally proceeded to explore one Sunday after lunch. My primary mission is to locate the ST. JOSEPH CHURCH which is also being called as WANGFUJING CHURCH obviously because of the street where it is situated. It is also known as the EASTERN CATHEDRAL since it is built at the eastern part of Beijing. If you can observe, majority of the places in China are named based on direction.

After getting of from the WANGFUJING Subway Station., I initially explored the WANGFUJING ST,. I was amazed by the wide and busy street which is devoted only to pedestrians. All types of vehicles are prohibited to pass which pave the way for the tourists to enjoy the majestic views of the creative designs of the buildings while freely walking along the wide lane. There are numerous shops, bookstores, fast food chains, snack houses, souvenir shops, and even stores for branded products like APPLE.

After satisfying my senses and savoring the Wangfujing St., I headed for my main destination, the Eastern Cathedral.

Most of the time, it is really challenging to locate one place because what you read on the net is different from the actual situation unless the written article is comprehensive stating all the necessary details including the exact street, the building number, and even the prominent landmarks.

After several minutes of analyzing the given address on the net reinforced by the map that I was holding, I finally spotted this magnificent view.

I hurriedly walked towards the remarkable structure. I was really excited to visit a Catholic Church outside the Philippines for the very first time. Although I already visited MALAYSIA and INDONESIA, I failed to visit any Church because of the very busy schedule in a very limited time of stay. But my long in journey in China provided me the wonderful opportunity to explore more.

I finally found my primary objective for the day. I entered the gate leading to the 10,000 square meter compound of the Cathedral. There were many tourists both local and foreigners like me, taking pictures while being enthralled by the remarkable structure.

As I gazed closely upon the towering Church, I really felt the overflowing blessings. My sincerest gratitude to the Almighty for always providing me a safe and enjoyable journey.

Although the Church was closed when I came, it didn't stop me to offer a Thanksgiving prayer infront of the Church. Prayers for the Lord to continuously guide me throughout my journey in life so that I can also continuously serve others.

How to reach the EAST CATHEDRAL or ST. JOSEPH CHURCH?

The easiest way is by subway train. Take subway Line 1 or Line 5.

For subway line 1, get off at WANGFUJING station, then exit at C2, then take a very long walk along Wangfujing St., then cross another street, then you will find the Church on the right.

For subway line 5, get off at DENSHIKOU station, then walk heading CYPRESS HUTONG for about 300 meters.

For schedule of mass services:

Monday to Saturday: 6:30am and 7am in Chinese

Sunday: Latin 6:15am, 7am and 8am in Chinese