The sign on the street calls it simply "Catholic Church." The cathedral was featured in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's 1987 film Empire of the Sun.
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While central Xujiahui was administratively part of the Chinese area of Shanghai, it was in reality controlled by the Catholic Church, which was closely associated with the French authorities of the French Concession.
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One is Xuhui College on 68 Hongqiao Road, now renamed Xuhui High School (or Xuhui Middle School).
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The former Collège Saint Ignace, founded in 1850 and now Xuhui High School, is still in Xujiahui.
Xujiahui |
Named after Philippe Pétain, Marshall of France, the boulevarde was constructed in 1922 to link the heart of the French Concession with Zikawei, now Xujiahui, the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai.