Our Lady of Sheshan Basilica

The Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan was completed in 1935 (work began 1925) and crowns the 99-meter Sheshan Hill, the highest natural point in metropolitan Shanghai. It is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in China — Pope Benedict XVI declared a special prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan in 2008 (24 May, annually). The interior is a Romanesque-Gothic mix; mass is held Sundays. The hike up the south slope passes 14 Stations of the Cross. From the cathedral terrace you get a rare panoramic of Songjiang — flat ricefields, distant skyscrapers, and the Sheshan Observatory tower. Combine with Chenshan Botanical Garden (15 min by taxi) for a Songjiang half-day.