Cathedral of the Holy Rosary

19th-century Dominican cathedral, the oldest church in Taiwan

A handsome Spanish-built Gothic-revival church in Yancheng, the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Kaohsiung. The exterior is red brick with pale dressings and pointed-arch windows; the interior is light, with a vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows.

The cathedral is in active use as a parish church, but is open to visitors outside service times. The surrounding lanes are typical Yancheng — narrow, full of cafes and small shops — and easy to combine with a stroll through the neighbourhood. A short walk from Yanchengpu MRT.

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A story
The cathedral was founded by Spanish Dominicans in 1859, the first Christian church built in Taiwan after the lifting of the ban on Christianity. The current Gothic-revival building was finished in 1928 and survived WWII Allied bombing of the nearby port. Several Dominican priests are buried in the small graveyard beside it.

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