Dong Lu was a poor town about 1450 km from Beijing. The Vincentian Fathers spread Christianity in Dong Lu, and by 1900, there were about seven hundred to one thousand Christians gathered about the little town.
The First Apparition in Dong Lu
In 1900, a remarkable event occurred in the small village of Dong Lu, situated approximately 1450 km from Beijing. This village, influenced by the Vincentian Fathers, had a growing Christian community of about 700 to 1,000 members. During the tumultuous times of the Boxer Revolution, Dong Lu faced a dire threat when ten thousand rebels attacked the village.
Amidst the chaos, a miraculous vision appeared: the Blessed Virgin Mary, surrounded by a mystical light, was seen in the air. This apparition, accompanied by what many believed to be St. Michael the Archangel, a fiery horseman, miraculously drove the attackers away.
In gratitude for this divine intervention, the villagers constructed a church to honor Our Lady. Father Rene Flament of the Congregation of the Mission commissioned a French painter in Shanghai to create a Marian statue resembling the Chinese Empress Ci Xi. This painting, placed in the newly built church, became a focal point for pilgrimages beginning in 1924 and was officially recognized as Our Lady of China. The painting received a special blessing from Pope Pius XI in 1928, following a request by the 1924 Shanghai Synod of Bishops in China.
Tragically, this sacred site was destroyed during World War II in a bombing raid. However, the resilient spirit of the villagers led to its reconstruction in 1992, and today, it stands as the largest church in Northern China. In recognition of the importance of this site, the Chinese Bishops’ conference, with approval from the Holy See, designated the feast day of Our Lady of China on the day before Mother’s Day (the second Sunday of May) in 1973.
The Second Apparition and Global Recognition
Another significant event took place on May 23, 1995. During a vigil preceding the Feast of Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians, a crowd of 30,000 Catholics, including four bishops and almost one hundred priests, gathered at the shrine. Participants witnessed an extraordinary phenomenon: the sun spun and emitted various colors, and once again, the vision of Our Lady of China with the Child Jesus appeared. This event, lasting approximately twenty minutes, was like the miracle at Fatima.
Our Lady of China in Taiwan
The devotion to Our Lady of China also extends to Taiwan. In 1976, another statue was erected in the National Shrine of Our Lady of China, located in Chiayi County. This shrine, constructed in 1913, has become a significant place of veneration.
In a historic development in 2020, the Archbishop of Taipei, Thomas Chung An-Zu, sought a formal coronation for the Marian image. This request was granted by Pope Francis, who issued a decree of pontifical coronation on February 19, 2021. The official decree was released to the Taiwanese media on March 2, 2021, and the coronation ceremony took place on August 14, 2022. There is a Cathedral to Our Lady of China in Tainan. Additionally, another church dedicated to Our Lady of China is located in the Xindian District of New Taipei City.