Qingdao Catholic Church

Originally named St. Emil Church after construction by the Germans was finished in 1934, the double-spire Catholic Church lies on a steep hill beside Zhongshan Road. Covering an area of 2,470 square meters, it is a magnificent edifice with a lighting bulb-encrusted cross on the roof. It has become an important landmark of Qingdao.

The Catholic Church (Tianzhu jiaotang) is Qingdao's largest and most opulent church. The cool white interior is interestingly offset by garish pictures and life-size wax models of famous Christians, including a huge mural of a beatific Mary and some simple, tastily clothed Franciscans. The area around this church is also well worth a wander, with old 30s German buildings mixed in with modern Chinese concrete. The cobbled streets leading up to the church are normally filled with local Muslim vendors selling their wares, the meat and octopi on stick look intriguing, and are worth tasting. Opening hours for the Church are highly variable and out of season the place only seems to open on Sundays, but even without entrance this area is definitely good to visit. Access to the twin towers was blocked off for renovations at the time of writing, but it is always worth asking about. As with the nearby Protestant Church, services are normally held here every Sunday. Address: 15 Zhejiang Lu. How to get there: Take the lane opposite the Qingdao Hotel on Zhongshan Lu.