St. Sophia Church to reopen this year

St. Sophia Church in Harbin will reopen to the public with a ticket price of 15 yuan per person by the end of this year, according to information released by the Harbin Development and Reform Commission on April 20.

The church will be undergoing maintenance starting May 2018 to restore its damaged exterior wall and interior paintings. Work is expected to be completed on Nov 30. This will be the second refurbishment since 1997.

St. Sophia Church is the most well-preserved piece of Byzantine architecture in China. It was built in 1907 and was once the biggest brick and wood church in the Far East. It combines a variety of architectural styles with a Russian dome and Roman clerestory. The church is 53.25-meters high and has a total construction area of 721 square meters. It can accommodate up to 2,000 people at once.

In November 1996, the State Council listed it as a Key National Heritage Conservation Item. In 2007, it was selected to become a national 4A-level scenic site.

St. Sophia Church undergoes maintenance [Photo/MY399.COM]