City of Faith

Beijing Bay is four hundred miles northwest Where the Yinshan, Taihang, and Yanshan Three large mountain ranges meet here The Mongolian Plateau and the North China Plain transition and connect here Between the high mountains and canyons with altitudes of one thousand five hundred to two thousand meters The mountain town—Chongli stands tall here. The name Chongli, rich in beautiful implications Comes from the meaning of advocating rites and righteousness It was born out of Zhangbei County in 1934 Due to its location in the lofty mountains With a cold climate and inconvenient transportation Nine parts mountain, half water, half farmland The scarcity of arable land resources Has kept it below the poverty line for a long time Thanks to the Winter Olympics venue selection falling here Chongli has undergone tremendous changes Large-scale cave dwellings and bungalow residential areas have been demolished A large number of residential buildings have been constructed Beijing has built kindergartens, a branch of Jingshan School, and the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University With the operation of the ski resorts and the influx of tourists brought by the Winter Olympics effect Residents' incomes have also seen a decent increase It's just a pity that the ancient city's appearance and traditional residential streets with a thousand years of history have been completely lost Although with the prosperity of the tourism industry and the influx of a large number of tourists Chongli's local customs remain simple and honest It has not become flashy and restless like many ancient cities across the country The people here are mostly approachable and exude kindness Rarely showing any fierceness The reason for this May not be unrelated to the Christian faith that has lasted for more than three hundred years Since the spread of Christianity here during the Kangxi period Xiwanzizi gradually became the seat of the bishop of the Catholic Mongolian Diocese At the same time, it is the missionary base in the Central Mongolian region The grand Xiwanzizi Cathedral of the Virgin, built during the Qing Dynasty Its Gothic towering spires became the tallest landmark building of this small town During the Boxer Rebellion This cathedral protected thousands of civilians from slaughter Later destroyed during the Cultural Revolution Until it was rebuilt in the nineties On Christmas Eve 2023 After skiing training, I took the children to the church To visit the Mass Feeling the devout religious atmosphere and festive mood The church staff are all local volunteers The church's congregation are all local residents The priest's prayers and blessings are all in the local dialect accent In the scene where thousands of people sing hymns together It brings peace to the heart