map 6.1 “Vicariat Apostolique de Peking,” ca 1930s. Retaining its original title, the map has been redrawn with modifications that colorfully enhance the vicariate’s ecclesiastical “district;” those relevant to this and other chapters are marked with black circles. Likewise, select villages (with churches, note the addition of small crosses) are included. For others places mentioned below, see map 4.1 and map 7.1. Source: Archives CM, Paris Anzu (Xin); Baodi; Baoding; Baxian; Beijing; Changping; Dakou; Fangshan; Gaojia; Gu’an; Miyun; Nanyuan; Sangyu; Shuangshuzi; Tianjin; Wen’an; Wuqing; Xiaohan; Zhuozhou. chapter 6 Old Churches in Hebei’s Small Cities, Towns, and Villages Nine places of worship situated at various distances from Beijing offer a valu- able perspective on the state of Catholicism in outlying and once mostly rural communities in Zhili/Hebei. For the sake of discussion, they are arranged into three geographic zones. First, in Hebei’s northwest, are those at Xuanhua, Xiwanzi, and Xiheying, all historically and currently active sites of Christianity. They are part of modern-day Zhangjiakou Diocese, whose area is cotermi- nous with the prefectural-level division of the same place-name. Next, in the province’s center, are four old religious structures. One of them is at Anjia, the home of a rural congregation formed four hundred years ago. Another is in Baoding City, a densely populated prefectural-level municipality composed of urban, suburban, and rural space. It is also a diocese. To Baoding’s north- east is Langfang (a prefectural-level unit that is not an ecclesiastical jurisdic- tion), and the village (zhuang) of Xin, which is the location of an old sacred structure. Southeast is Cangzhou, a prefectural-level municipality and diocese. Composing one part of it is Xian County, where the Jesuits had a cathedral and huge mission complex at the village (zhuang) of Zhangjia—the centerpiece of their vicariate from 1861 to 1946. Although the original cathedral is gone, and a grand replacement stands in its place, nearby a longstanding chapel has endured. Third, in Hebei’s far south, are two time-honored religious edifices in Handan Prefectural-level Municipality, whose boundaries similarly form a dio- cese. Daming County is one of the municipality’s rural components and in its main city there is a large sacred structure; Wu’an County is another such unit and at the village (cun) of Baisha there is a small church. Catholics built both about one hundred years ago. The aforementioned sites are not in the prov- ince’s civil or ecclesiastical mainstream and because of this have their own important stories to tell. 1 The Northwest During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Jesuits serving the emperor in Beijing as scientists, interpreters, and artists made it possible for others to join them at one of their several churches, from which they searched Zhili for © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2020 | doi:10.1163/9789004416185_007.