Sacred Heart Cathedral is located in Guangzhou city, the old town, on the banks of the Pearl river. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in China. Its towers reach sixty meters, and the area of the temple is 2700 square meters.

The Cathedral was built in the late nineteenth century by the French architect Guilleminot. The building, designed in the Gothic revival style began in 1861. The construction was carried out on money of the Emperor Napoleon III and private donations of the French. The first stone set in the Foundation of the Cathedral, was brought specially from Jerusalem, and, in turn, was filled with two pounds of earth, taken from another great city - Rome.

The construction works lasted for almost a quarter of a century and ended in 1888. During the work the engineers are constantly faced with the opposition of the local population, which has not adopted the new faith. Besides, the work was hampered by a lack of skilled workers and good equipment.

The facade of the building is almost an exact copy of the Basilica of St. Clotilde Catholic Church in Paris, built in 1857. On both sides of the main facade there are two large towers. One of the tower are four bells, brought specially from France. And the second set of huge watch. Stained glass inside the Cathedral is designed in the Gothic revival style.

Despite the location, the architecture of the Church has had a Chinese influence. The Cathedral has retained its classic look. The Chinese called the temple "stone house" because of the granite, which became the main building material. This is one of the few cathedrals in the world built entirely of this stone.

Today, the Church of the sacred Heart is a mission of the Roman Catholic diocese of Guangzhou. And, of course, performs all the functions of a normal Catholic Church.