She Shan, Shanghai

She Shan Basilica
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:She_Shan_Basilica_2.jpg
Author: Iobia


She Shan is a 100-meter (328-feet) high hill 35 km (22 miles) to the southwest of Shanghai. At the top of She Shan is an imposing Catholic church, the Church of Our Lady of China.

She Shan was occupied by Catholic missionaries since the 1850's, when they built a small chapel. A bishop taking refuge here vowed to erect a church on the hill. Eventually the basilica was erected in 1925-35.

Today the basilica at She Shan still pack worshippers, particularly during the Catholic feast days in May, when hundreds of pilgrims throng the church.

The way up the hill to the basilica represents the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Grief), the path taken by Jesus on the way to his crucifixion, a format repeated in most Catholic places of worship. The route passes through bamboo groves.

There is an ancient observatory at the top of the hill. Once of the interesting devices here is the ancient Chinese earthquake monitor. It is a pot with a pendulum on the inside, and four ornamental dragon heads on the outside. Each dragon has a steel ball in its mouth. When there is an earthquake, the pendulum will swing and knock one of the dragons, which releases the ball from its mouth, pointing out the direction of the quake.

How to reach She Shan

You will have to take the bus from Wenhua Guangchang bus stop or Xi Qu bus station in Shanghai. Alternatively, get a taxi.

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