The only temple in the Far East that has been canonized by the Pope

She Shan in Shanghai is the highest geographical point in the Shanghai area, located in She Shan National Forest Park. She Shan is divided into East She Shan and West She Shan, which are far apart. West She Shan is famous at home and abroad for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Help and the Shanghai Observatory. The geographical marker of the summit of She Shan is also located on West She Shan. According to the results of the measurement by the Shanghai Observatory and the Ministry of Natural Resources in August 2021, the elevation of the "National Elevation Datum of 1985" at the summit of West She Shan is 99.186 meters. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Help in She Shan is a sacred and solemn place of prayer. It is the only basilica in the Far East that has been canonized by the Pope, hence it is known as the "First Cathedral in the Far East". It is a famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the country and was declared a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai in September 1989. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Help in She Shan was built in 1871 and completed its expansion in 1935. It is also known as the She Shan Cathedral and the She Shan Catholic Church. The She Shan Catholic Church cleverly takes advantage of the mountain during its construction, with auxiliary buildings scattered along the way from the foot of the mountain to the top. On May 19, 2023, I took the Songzhu Line from the ancient town of Zhujiajiao in Songjiang and got off at Longyuan Road. I walked for about 30 minutes in She Shan National Forest Park and transferred to Waiqing Song Highway. Looking up at West She Shan during the walk, you can see the Cathedral and the Shanghai Observatory hidden in the green trees on the top of the mountain. The pilgrimage gate of She Shan Catholic Church is located at No. 3 Huanshan Road at the foot of She Shan. There is a stone archway in front of the gate, with "Help of Christianity" engraved on it. Four stone lions stand on top of the archway pillars, one of which hangs "She Shan Catholic Church". Passing through the archway and climbing up the mountain along the Pilgrimage Mountain Road, the Pilgrimage Mountain Road is paved with bluestone. There is first the Zhongshan Cathedral of Our Lady, and then the Pavilion of Our Lady, the Pavilion of Joseph, and the Pavilion of the Sacred Heart (also collectively referred to as "Three Saints Pavilion"). There are already believers reciting scriptures and praying at the Pavilion of Our Lady, the Pavilion of Joseph, and the Pavilion of the Sacred Heart. Leaving the "Three Saints Pavilion", continue to climb the mountain along the winding Via Dolorosa. There are 14 small relief pavilions depicting the suffering of Jesus along the Via Dolorosa, all the way to the Cathedral of Our Lady at the top of the mountain. The Cathedral of Our Lady is 56 meters long from east to west and 25 meters wide from north to south, in the shape of a Latin cross. From the base of the temple to the tip of the cross is 38 meters high, 17 meters to the dome, and 22 meters to the sulfur glass tile. The entire church building is without nails, wood, steel, or beams, known as the "Four No's", which is a model of architecture. The windows of the church building are made of colored glass, with different sizes and different saints. Behind the Catholic Church is the Shanghai Observatory. You can see the back of the Catholic Church building in the Shanghai Observatory. Next to a stone in the Shanghai Observatory, there is a stone with the inscription "Summit of She Shan". On the stone, there is a "Summit of She Shan Bedrock Top Point" marker set up by the Shanghai Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, dated August 2021. Looking down from the top of West She Shan, She Shan National Forest Park is lush and green. The buildings under the mountain are in the green trees, with a neat layout and a relaxed mood.