Marian devotion
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On a hill in Longtian, in the Changle district of the Chinese province of Fujian, the Villa del Rosario, known in Chinese as In her heart Mary is venerated as Rosa Místicawithin a rosary landscape, through the streets, gardens and reception of pilgrims.
Advocation: Our Lady Rose Mystic.
Local name: The ensemble is called the "Villa del Rosario de Changle."
Place: Longtian village, Guhuai municipality, Changle, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Jurisdiction: Catholic Archdiocese of Fuzhou.
Start of the set: 1993.
Civil approval as a religious place: 1996.
Termination and dedication of the great temple: 2001; the local tradition marks 13 May for its consecration.
Nature: Catholic advocation, Marian sanctuary and pilgrimage center.
Mystic Rose and the Mysteries of the Rosary
The Chinese name of the temple can be translated as the Mother of God of the Mysteries, in reference to the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The image of the rose applied to Mary is ancient in Christian spirituality: it expresses beauty, purity and hidden action of grace. In Changle the title is not isolated, but orders the whole set as a catechesis on foot.
The dream of Bishop Zheng Changcheng
The sanctuary was born on the initiative of monseñor Zheng Changchengthe first Chinese bishop of Fuzhou, who had suffered decades of imprisonment. Already old man, he requested the use of the hill where he had collected wood during his childhood. From 1993 a house, roads, pavilions and images of the Virgin began to be built.
The influx of faithful grew soon. In a period of inspections and closures of unregularized religious sites, the project was threatened. Chinese Catholic sources report that in 1996 it obtained recognition as a place of religious activity. Then the great temple, the square, gardens, sculptures of the mysteries of the rosary and the stations of the cross were added.
A sanctuary built between 1993 and 2001
AsiaNews places the start of the work in 1993 and its completion in May 2001. The complex brings together the church of Our Lady, a great Marian image, convent, library, residence for elders and simple accommodation for pilgrims. The temple, visible from the distance, crown the ascending itinerary.
Bishop Zheng died in 2006. His memory remains linked to the sanctuary and his desire that the place serve the prayer, culture, charity and communion of the Church.
Pilgrimage and desire for unity
The chronicles describe the annual arrival of more than 10,000 people from both China and abroad. In May 2004, Protestant groups were also interested in understanding the Catholic doctrine about Mary, the way of the crucis and the rosary.
The Villa del Rosario has hosted Catholics from officially recognized and unregistered communities. The responsible religious expressed the desire that the place be a sign of communion: not only within the Catholic Church, but also a respectful encounter with other Christians.
In 2013, some 2,000 pilgrims celebrated the twentieth anniversary under a typhoon. In 2025, Fides again documented a missionary pilgrimage in the "Rosary Village" built around the shrine of Mary Rosa Mística: via crucis, rosary, songs and Eucharist, they showed that devotion continues to live.
Location in Fujian
The sanctuary is located in Longtian, inside Guhuai, Changle district, south-east of Fuzhou. The main temple coordinates are 25.89037, 119.53645, verified with the mapping element of the building. Precision avoids confusing this Rosario Villa with churches of the same name elsewhere in China.
A school of prayer made landscape
Changle invites you to pray with the whole body: go up, stop before every mystery, accompany the Passion and finally enter the church. The rosary appears as well as a contemplation of Christ's life with Mary and as a school of unity, perseverance and service.
Prayer to Our Lady Rose Mystical of Changle
Mary, Rosa Mística and Mother of the Mysteries of Christ, receive those who arrive on the hill of Changle. Teach us to contemplate with the rosary the life of your Son, to seek unity without losing the truth and to serve with humility to those who need comfort. It protects the Christian families and communities of Fujian. Our Lady of the Villa del Rosario, pray for us. Amen.
Sources consulted
- Fides News Agency: Contemporary Pilgrimage to Rosa Mística.
- AsiaNews: origin, structure and pilgrimages.
- Kung Kao Po, Hong Kong diocese: 20th anniversary and history.
- Chinese Catholic Chronicle of the Sanctuary.
- GCatholic: title, jurisdiction and address.
- OpenStreetMap based mapping: building coordinates.
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