| China Gothic: The Bishop of Beijing and His Cathedral Subjects: Nationalism and architecture -- China -- Beijing; Xishiku Cathedral (Beijing China); Architecture French -- China -- Beijing; Gothic revival (Architecture) -- China -- Beijing; Favier Alphonse 1837-1905; Catholic Church -- China -- Bishops -- Biograph; As China struggled to redefine itself at the turn of the twentieth century, nationalism, religion, and material culture intertwined in revealing ways. This phenomenon is evident in the twin biographies of North China's leading Catholic bishop of the time, Alphonse Favier (1837-1905), and the Beitang cathedral, epicenter of the Roman Catholic mission in China through incarnations that began in 1701. After its relocation and reconstruction under Favier's supervision, the cathedral--and Favier--miraculously survived a two-month siege in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. Featuring a French Gothic Revival design augmented by Chinese dragon-shaped gargoyles, marble balustrades in the style of Daoist and Buddhist temples, and other Chinese aesthetic flourishes, Beitang remains an icon of Sino-Western interaction. Anthony E. Clark is professor of Chinese history and Edward B. Lindaman Endowed Chair at Whitworth University. He is the author of Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi . Leland M. Roth is Marion D. Ross Distinguished Professor Emeritus of architectural history at the University of Oregon. He is the author of Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning . |