Church of the Immaculate Conception, Jinan

The original church dates back to 1651, founded by Jaboulet (嘉伯乐), a Spanish missionary of the Franciscans.[1][2] After the Chinese Rites controversy broke out, Yongzheng Emperor of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) ordered to demolish churches, confiscate church lands and force Catholics to return to secular life. In 1861, French bishop Luigi Moccagatta (江类思) came to Shandong and proposed to the Qing government to rebuild the Catholic church in Jiangjunmiao Street (将军庙街; 'General Temple Street'), which was approved.[1][2] The reconstruction project started in 1864 with Romanesque architectural style by Italian bishop Eligio Pietro Cosi (顾立爵) and was completed two years later.[1][2] The church was named "Church of the Immaculate Conception" and used as the Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jinan. The abbey and episcopal office were added to the church in 1863 and the Haixing School (海星学堂) was added to the church in 1898, respectively. In 1905, the Sacred Heart Cathedral replaced it as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jinan. The church was closed in 1966 due to the Cultural Revolution. It was officially reopened to the public on 23 June 1979. In October 2013, it was designated as a provincial cultural relic preservation organ by the Shandong government.