By Celine Chen

As part of a new road plan in Fuzhou City, east China's Fujian Province, the Cathedral of St Dominic has been moved 80 meters eastwards and rotated through 90 degrees. The relocation project started in July. The Cathedral of St Dominic was raised by over one meter in preparation for the move and the move itself started on August 30.

The Priest's House of Fanchuanpu Cathedral before the move.

The rotation is the most complex element of the project. Prior to this operation, and before the final move eastwards, the house was moved 30 meters to the south.

The Cathedral of St Dominic has been placed under provincial protection as an important cultural relic. The building weighs around 1,500 tons and is scheduled to "walk" southeastward to its new resting place.

The Cathedral of St Dominic was first built in 1864 by an Italian priest with the support of Ye Xianggao, the Prime Minister of that time. Originally, its exterior façade was that of a normal dwelling, while the interior was decorated in western style.

The building was remodeled in 1933 in Gothic and French style. The new Cathedral of St Dominic extends more than 1.2 hectares, and the chapel can accommodate more than 2,000 people.