A century-old cathedral, known as Far East's grandest church, has been showing some signs of aging and is currently undergoing renovations.

Locally known as the Xujiahui Cathedral, St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai is in the process of being restored. A budget of 30 million yuan ($4.65 million) has been allocated for the project.

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The renovation will displace parishioners from holding their Christmas celebration. However, this initiation will not only show respect and dedication to the religion but also ensure safety of its followers.

"After the opening-up and implementation of reform policies by former leader Deng Xiaoping (in 1978), religious freedom has been improving," Shanghai's Catholic Diocese Shen Baozhi said. "My feeling is that we have a very positive environment for religions and the future is very bright."

The repair will include fixing the leaking roof and wind abrasion-caused damages as well as replacing the broken tiles and termite-infested wood floors.

"The cathedral has suffered severe leakages while parts of construction material have been falling down, frequently in recent times, disrupting prayers and scaring off visitors," the cathedral management said.

The work, which began last month, is estimated to be completed by August 17 2016.

The church's design was a masterpiece of William Doyle, an English architect. It was established during the 20th century by French Jesuits. Aside from a place of worship, the then missionary center also includes a college, library, orphanage, publishing house and weather station.

However, the makeover aims to restore the original, historic 1950s look of the church. "The church's valuable structures will be protected to preserve its original beauty," the diocese priest Gu Zhangjun said.  "The parts covered by wooden slate are important structures, and we will pay special attention to protecting them."

The last renovation on the building was done more than two decades ago. The cathedral has been closed to public since August 24.

TagsShanghai's Catholic Diocese, Xujiahui Cathedral, St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai, Religion, Catholic Church