Jiaxing is home to the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church

Jiaxing Catholic Church, also known as the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church, commonly referred to as the Lady Church or the Catholic Church, is located at No. 55 Ziyang Street, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. It is a Western-style building with Italian Gothic architectural style. It is said to be the third largest church in the Far East. In 1917, the church was built under the supervision of Father Han Rilu, who was of Italian nationality. Father Han Rilu was not only a devout Catholic but also a renowned Italian architect. He personally oversaw everything from material selection to construction work and even imported many advanced building materials from France, including cement, steel, pine wood, colored glass, and colored floor tiles. The bricks used for the walls were specifically fired in Jiashan Gan Kiln Town. He was very strict with the craftsmen. The construction cost 80,000 silver yuan and took 13 years to complete, finishing in 1930. The entire church covers an area of 34,000 square meters, with a building area of 1,320 square meters. The two bell towers in front of the church rise from the ground, reaching a height of 57 meters, and were once the tallest structures in Jiaxing for a long time. The scale is claimed to be the largest in China and the third in the Far East. The structure is made of reinforced concrete, with beautifully intricate carvings.