China news

 Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai, once known as the grandest church in the Far East, is undergoing a major face-lift, displacing its parishioners during the upcoming celebration of Christmas.
Also called Xujiahui Cathedral, the landmark has a century-old history and is showing its age. It has literally been falling apart in recent years, even as it played host to thousands of worshiping Catholics and tourists.

The restoration, which will cost 30 million yuan ($4.65 million), is viewed as a form of respect and dedication to religion, while ensuring the safety of the congregation.

"After the opening-up and implementation of reform policies by former leader Deng Xiaoping (in 1978), religious freedom has been improving," said Shen Baozhi, 90, chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Shanghai. "My feeling is that we have a very positive environment for religions and the future is very bright."

Shanghai has about 150,000 Catholics, and there are other Catholic churches around the city to celebrate Christmas Mass. But Xujiahui, where the cathedral is located, is one of the city's most bustling areas.

Designed by English architect William Doyle, the cathedral was built by French Jesuits at the beginning of the 20th century. As a missionary center, the grounds once included a library, an orphanage, a college, a publishing house and a weather station.

The interior－with its altars, stone columns, Gothic ceilings, stained glass windows, and paintings of the Last Supper and Stations of the Cross－represents the city's living history of European architecture.

The condition of the building has been deteriorating for many years, and the problems include a leaking roof, worn-out drywall and a termite infestation.

Minor repairs in the past never completely fixed the problems. During a Mass in August, worshipers narrowly escaped being hit by crumbling ceiling segments.
The paper was founded as the weekly North-China Herald (T: 北華捷報, S: 北华捷报, P: Běihuá Jiébào) and was first published on 3 August 1850. Its founder, British auctioneer Henry Shearman (T: 奚安門, S:奚安门, P: Xī Ānmén), died in 1856. A daily edition commenced publication on 1 June 1864 as the North China Daily News. The North-China Herald was also the gazette (official record) of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan and the British Consulate. For much of the period it was published under the masthead North-China Herald and Supreme Court and Consular Gazette. The newspaper was an influential force in Shanghai and throughout China. Its circulation peaked at 7,817 copies.
A notable early editor was Frederic H. Balfour. Other editors included Archibald John Little's brother R.W. "Bob" Little (C: 李德立, P: Lǐ Délì), who also served on the Shanghai International Settlement, the municipal council. In 1901, the paper was purchased by Henry E. Morris (T:馬立斯, S:马立斯, P:Mǎ Lìsī). In 1920, the paper passed to his son, H.E. Morris Jr., who used his money to build a compound of luxurious houses which became today's Ruijin Hotel,[2] as well as the Canidrome, a dog-racing stadium. One of the two Morrises also purchased the Hellier Stradivarius.[3] In 1924, the newspaper moved its headquarters to the new North China Daily News Building at Number 17 on the Bund, then the tallest building in Shanghai.
The North-China Herald and the daily edition suspended publication after 8 December 1941 during the Pacific war. Publication of the Herald was never resumed. On 31 March 1951, the North China Daily News suspended publication at the orders of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the North China Daily News Building was seized by the Shanghai municipal government of the People's Republic of China.

The Shanghai Library keeps back issues of the North China Daily News and the North-China Herald at the Bibliotheca Zikawei (in Xujiahui).