| St. Francis Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Wuxing Street Catholic Church | |
圣方济各主教座堂 | |
 The front facade of the cathedral in 2016 | |
 | |
| 34°15′28″N 108°55′45″E / 34.2579°N 108.9291°E | |
| Location | 17 Wuxing St, Lianhu, Xi'an |
| Country | China |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1716 |
| Founder(s) | Antonio Laghi |
| Dedication | St. Francis of Assisi |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Neo-Romanesque |
| Years built | 1716 (first building) 1883 (current) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Xi'an |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Anthony Dang Mingyan |
| St. Francis Cathedral, Xi'an | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 聖方濟各主教座堂 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 圣方济各主教座堂 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Saint Francis Cathedral | ||||||
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St. Francis Cathedral (simplified Chinese: 圣方济各主教座堂; traditional Chinese: 聖方濟各主教座堂) is a Catholic cathedral located in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. Its construction began in 1716 and was completed in 1727. Since 1930, the church has been the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Xi'an.
The church has a history of land disputes with various Chinese governments that has continued into the 21st century. Though the Qing government proscribed Christianity in 1724, some underground missionary activities remained, and the church was completed three years later. It was eventually confiscated by the Qing government, but returned in 1866 and rebuilt in 1884. It was closed in 1966 and reopened in 1980.
The cathedral combines Chinese and western architectural styles. It currently houses the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Yellow River Soup Kitchen, and also contains a relic of St. Francis of Assisi.