Longhua–Tushanwan: late-Qing churches and translators
Where China's first generation of overseas students set out
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Stops in order
Longhua Temple
Starting point. Founded in 242 CE under the Wu kingdom; today's structures date to the Guangxu reign. The pagoda leans 38 cm — corrected once in 1985. Opens 6 a.m., incense is free. Walk north along Longhua West Road and Caoxi North Road for about 2 km to Tushanwan; you'll pass the west wall of the Martyrs' Cemetery, where the drainage channel of the 1927 Fenglin Bridge Prison still runs.
Tushanwan Museum
Site of the Tushanwan Orphanage workshops, 1864–1960. Inside is the carved wooden pailou that won gold at the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition. China's earliest generation of photographers, printers and stained-glass craftsmen trained here.
Nandan Road · Guangqi Park
Tomb of Xu Guangqi, who co-translated the first six books of Euclid's Elements with Matteo Ricci. The Chinese terms for 'point', 'line' and 'plane' all come from him. The cemetery is free, a five-minute loop.
Bibliotheca Zikawei
Built in 1847 by the French Jesuits — modern China's first public library. 560,000 volumes, half in Chinese and half in Western languages. Visit by appointment, but the colonnade outside is open to view.
St. Ignatius Cathedral
Endpoint. Built 1910 — Gothic Revival with twin 56-metre bell towers. The stained glass was remade in 1987, but the three eastern panels are original from 1925. The library and cathedral are two minutes apart across Puxi Road.
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