Thanksgiving is coming again! For Westerners, it is a day to show appreciation to the Lord for every trail he carries and all the things he has done in the whole year. It is a good time to be grateful for the entire blessed thing. The church plays an important role to learn about gratitude. In Beijing, you can choose one of the following churches to spend the holiday.

Xishiku Catholic Church

Located in Xishiku Street in Xicheng district, the Xishiku Catholic Church is the largest Catholic Church in Beijing. It was originally built by the Jesuits in 1703 near Zhongnanhai, a land bestowed by the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the Jesuits in 1694. In 1887, it was relocated to its current location, by the order of the Guangxu Emperor to create the Zhongnanhai Park.

The church covers a spacious ground and is surrounded by oak and pine trees. It is also the place where the Beijing Cardinal Bishop Office is located. People regard it as one of the most ornated and magnificent Catholic churches in China.

Wangfujing Catholic Church (Eastern Church)

Located on Wangfujing Street, Wangfujing Catholic Church (Eastern Church) is a well known cathedral in Beijing. Due to its unique location, it faces west. First built in 1655, it was originally an apartment for two foreign priests during the ruling of the Emperor Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They built it several times through damages. In 1980, the church was rebuilt and reopened.

The church is designed in the Romanesque style. The strong pilasters and vaults make it very impressive. In the church, there are a lot of precious religious paintings drawn by Giuseppe Castiglione.

Chongwenmen Church

Once called Asbury Church, Chongwenmen Church was the first church constructed by the American Methodist Church in northern China. Originally it was built to hold 400 to 500 people. After several times of renovation, it was completed in 1904. Basically, it keeps the original decoration, though smaller in scale.

Gangwashi Church

Located in Xisinan Street, Xicheng district, Gangwashi Church is a Protestant church built in 1863 by the London Missionary Society. It was damaged during the Boxer Uprising in 1900 and rebuilt in 1903. It combined with the China Christian Church in 1922.

Every week, 4,000 to 5,000 followers go to Gangwashi Church. Every year, about 500 people are baptized there. In November 2005, US President George W. Bush attended a religious service in the church during his visit to China.