Liaoyang Catholic Church

In 1903, Father Jean-François Corbel arrived at West Sidaojie to rebuild what fire had cleared. The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 had reduced Liaoyang's Catholic churches to ash. Working with French priest and architect Henry Lamasse, Corbel oversaw the rise of a new brick-and-wood sanctuary, completed in 1905. This French Gothic structure, now known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, stands as a monument of survival.

The exterior centers on a 33-meter-tall bell tower. Its first level features three entryways on the east, south, and west sides. Above, louvered windows frame a cool green slate plaque inscribed with the characters Catholic Church. Inside this second tier hangs a heavy alloy bronze bell, its deep ring once marking the daily rhythms of the city. The tower culminates in an octagonal pyramid and a three-meter-high spire topped with a cross catching the sun.

Behind the tower lies the main hall, measuring 40 meters long, 12 meters wide, and 10 meters high. Two rows of eleven pillars divide the interior into three long aisles, illuminated by three hanging lamps casting light down the passageways. At the northern end, the main altar honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus, flanked by side altars: Saint Joseph on the east and the Virgin Mary on the west. To the east, a side door leads to a sacristy where the scent of wax, fresh flowers, and folded vestments lingers.

In 1913, Father Marc-Marie-Joseph-Xavier Lamiable expanded the compound to 22,880 square meters, adding a clinic, a nursing home, and residences across 106 rooms. When foreign missionaries departed after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese nuns reportedly assumed leadership of the parish. The church was repurposed for industrial use till 1990s, the diocese reclaimed the property. The community rebuilt the bell tower and restored the sanctuary.

Today, the church is a protected provincial cultural heritage site, having been designated in 2014. It remains an active parish where hundreds of congregants gather under the high pillars, their voices filling the historic hall.