A city center contains a country, which sounds incredible, but it does exist. With an area of only 0.44 square kilometers, it can be called a country within a city and a small pocket country. Although it is small, its influence is really great, and even the United States has to avoid three points. This small country is the Vatican.

According to statistics, the Vatican has tens of billions of dollars in total assets, but only about 800 permanent residents. Big data shows that its per capita GDP has reached $95,000 per year, the highest level in developed countries. So why can a place with an area of less than one square kilometer become a developed country? Why does the United States avoid talking about it? This should start with its background and history.

As we all know, Christianity is the largest religion in the world at present, with more than 2 billion followers. Christianity is divided into Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism. These three branches are collectively called Christianity. There are about1300 million Catholics, accounting for 18 of the world. The Vatican is one of the centers of Catholicism. There are several famous cathedrals here, and the Pope also lives here. If the first holy place of Christianity is Jerusalem, then the second holy place is the Vatican.

In fact, the Vatican used to be a large area, about 40 thousand square kilometers. In the 7th century, in order to get the support of the American Pope, King Frank appointed Ping as emperor and gave the Roman Church a lot of land. Later, in the Middle Ages, through the Crusades and the ideological submission of western European countries, the papal state reached the peak of power and economy.

During Martin's religious reform in the United States, Protestantism and Catholicism were separated, and the strength of papal countries was not as good as before. By 1870, Italy occupied the papal state, and the papal rule over Europe for thousands of years completely ended.

Italy also believes in Catholicism after all. Although Pope America was deprived of the right to rule Europe, no one dared to move his position as spiritual leader. Since then, the Pope has retired to the Vatican Palace, and his territory has been greatly reduced. Today, the area of the United States is 0.44 square kilometers.

How strong is the economic strength?

It is no exaggeration to say that the Vatican is a country with three noes. What is "three noes"? No personal income tax, no cultivated land and no natural resources. What does its income mainly depend on? Its national economy and fiscal revenue mainly depend on the rent of real estate and the interest of state financial funds deposited in banks. Every year, Catholics donate money to the Vatican Church, the profits of the Vatican Bank, the reception of tourists and the sale of stamps.

These are just fixed income every year. The Vatican has many long-term investment projects in Europe, America and other countries, most of which are invested in stocks, bonds and real estate.

The Vatican, located in the hinterland of Italy, has penetrated into the Italian economy. It has 464,800 hectares of land in Italy, accounting for 8.2% of the total cultivated land in Italy, and these lands are all in the rich areas of Apennine Peninsula.

The Vatican's foreign exchange gold reserves exceed $654.38+000 billion. For the Vatican, which has only 800 permanent residents, on average, they are all billionaires, but people can't help but ask whether they are billionaires. They pursue the sublimation of the soul.

In addition, there is a monopoly income that has to be mentioned, that is, the income from the publication of books by the church. Because the Vatican is the center of Catholicism, Catholics all over the world recognize this place. The Vatican sells books and makes a lot of money. It has no competitors.

Come on, let's talk about Vatican stamps. Due to the special status of the Vatican in the United States, the stamps issued by the Vatican are all stamps with profound Catholic significance, such as Jesus, angels, cathedrals and so on. These stamps have a small circulation, so they have a high collection value. The Vatican made a lot of money just by issuing stamps. It is said that they can afford all the administrative expenses of the Vatican and have a surplus.

The Vatican Bank has business dealings with more than 200 countries, which can be said to be the economic and financial systems of the Vatican and the United States. Because of the neutrality of the Vatican, businessmen and politicians in some places are willing to deposit their money in Vatican banks, especially in Italy, where they can avoid taxes.

Rich culture

Speaking of Vatican culture, in fact, the whole Vatican City is a treasure house of culture. Famous buildings include St. Peter's American Cathedral, Vatican Palace and Sistine Chapel. These are world-famous architectural works with a long history.

Among them, St. Peter's American Cathedral is the largest church in the world. The scale of this fourth-century building is amazing. Front width 1 15m, height 45m and length 2 12m. It can accommodate 50,000 people, with a total area of 15 100 square meters.

The dome with a height of142m in the center of the church was designed by Michelangelo at the age of 7 1 year. Under the dome is an altar for offering sacrifices to God. The bronze canopy created by Benigni covered the altar. There is also a statue of the Virgin Mary created by Michelangelo at the age of 24. Mary embraced Jesus, who came back to life after a temporary death. She looks sad but full of peace, and exudes a powerful force from heaven.

Another treasure of Vatican culture is the Vatican Museum, which was built in16th century and is one of the oldest museums in the world. It has 70,000 pieces of collection, some of which are treasures in the history of human art. The famous sculptures include laocoon in ancient Greece, Apollo in the tourist hall, the remnant, Augustus, the first door of ancient Rome, and so on.

Mural works include the Academy of Athens by Rafael Camacho; S's Debate on Sacraments, Michelangelo's The Burying of Christ and so on. These great works are an important part of Vatican culture and also reflect the important connotation of Vatican cultural strength.

Political and military power should not be underestimated.

Vatican America's political system is the unity of politics and religion. The central government consists of the State Council, Ministry of Holy Affairs and Council, which deal with secular government affairs and internal church affairs respectively.

The Vatican has established diplomatic relations with more than 200 countries in the world. Although the Vatican countries are small, the influence of Catholicism is great. Many countries are very willing to have friendly political contacts with the Vatican. Because good relations with the Pope make Catholicism in these countries more stable. Religion has always been a sensitive issue, and no country dares to be careless.

During World War II, the then Pope pope pius xii dared not offend the Allies or the Nazis. In return, he promised that the allies would not bomb Rome and protect themselves from Nazi attacks. In that war-torn era, which country survived? It can be seen that the Vatican is a powerful political power that combines politics and religion.

The Vatican's military aspects can be ignored, but after all, there are still teams.

At present, the Vatican has 240 national defense forces, including 1 10 Swiss Guard and 130 Gendarmerie. The military strength of this scale may not be as strong as that of a county in China, but even so, no one dares to bully the Vatican and use force against it.

Don't look at these people, but don't forget that the Crusade was organized by the Pope, and people from many western European countries formed an alliance. If there are more conflicts today, the Pope's orders may soon form a new crusade. This is the power of faith. On the surface, the American troops in the Vatican seem insignificant, but it can also be said that there are thousands of troops in it.

Does the United States dare to provoke the Vatican?

On 20 16, Trump tore Pope Francis on Twitter on the eve of the presidential election. Francis is not to be outdone, saying in front of reporters that Trump may not be a Christian.

After Trump became president, he not only dared to treat the Vatican and the Pope rudely, but also personally visited the Vatican and exchanged gifts with the Pope. Imagine that if other heads of state dare to scold Trump, there will inevitably be some sanctions.

This is the influence of the Vatican and the Pope now. Even the president of the United States has to give him three points and even avoid it. Because Christianity is the main belief in Europe and America, even if the president of the United States dares to break with the Pope, it will certainly arouse the opposition of voters, and his presidency may be unstable. That is, western consciousness determines matter and God determines fate.

In fact, the Vatican is an invisible force. It looks small on the surface, but it's actually very big. Its 654.38+03 billion Catholics are about the same as the total population of China, and as far as the Catholic faith is concerned, the believers are very United. If the Pope gives the order, we must unite as one. 1300 million Catholics scattered around the world are enough to influence the world, and the power of faith is extremely powerful.

This world is like this sometimes. What the eyes see is not necessarily true. Your eyes are not invisible, they really exist. Just like the Vatican, a small place contains a vast world.

: The three supernatural virtues are faith, hope and love.

These three virtues are the concrete embodiment of transcendental life, open flowers and transcendental life. The super life of Catholics is actually the pursuit of truth, goodness, beauty and holiness. Faith is the foundation, and virtue and love are the driving forces of sanctification. At the same time, love is the fruit of sanctification.

2. Sande Catholic Church

Saint Madeleine is the backer of the mission area, and we in China are only the mission area at present. So saints naturally call us the patron saint of China. She is also a patron of all missionary areas. The patron saint of China is Saint Joseph.

3. St. Little Delan Catholic Church

Exotic buildings in Huangsha Wharf;

Shamian Island, a 5A-level scenic spot, is located in the west of Guangzhou, Chi Pan, by the Pearl River White Swan. It is a famous foreign affairs tourist area and historical relics protection area in Guangzhou, including Notre Dame Catholic Church, Soviet Consulate, HSBC and other attractions.

Huangsha Market, located in Chi Pan of White Swan, is adjacent to Shamian Tourism and Cultural Zone in the east; Wangbaietan Style Bar Street is located in the south of the city, west of the former South Railway Station and north of the city. Huangsha Market is located in the core of Guangzhou New Liwan Modern New Business District.

Zhan Tianyou was born in Zhan Tianyou, Enning Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou. Next to the memorial hall is a primary school named after Zhan Tianyou. A small green garden connects the former residence with the school. There are miniature herringbone railway and Badaling Great Wall in the park. This is a great masterpiece in memory of Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, the father of Chinese railways.

4. Photos of Notre Dame Catholic Church in Lourde.

Guangzhou is a prosperous city with a fast pace of life. Usually, you can go to some interesting places with some friends on weekend holidays. So what are the interesting places to visit in Guangzhou?

Top Ten Attractions in Guangzhou: Guang Zhouta, Shamian Island, Baiyun Mountain, Changlong Tourist Resort, Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, Lingnan Impression Garden, Sacred Heart Cathedral of Shishi, Million Sunflower Garden, Chenjiamiao and Baishui Village.

I. Guang Zhouta

Ticket price: 150.00 yuan/person.

Opening hours: 9:00-23:00.

Best season to play: four seasons

Guang Zhouta, also known as Guangzhou New TV Tower and Xiaomanyao, is located at No.222, Yuejiangxi Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. With a total height of 600 meters, there are entertainment projects such as Ferris wheel and speed ladder, and there is an outdoor viewing platform with beautiful urban landscape. There are two sightseeing halls, 4D and 3D motion picture theaters, which combine Chinese and western culture, and are a good place for people to have a leisure holiday.

Second, Shamian Island

Ticket price: free of charge

Opening hours: all day

Best season: September to165438+1October.

Shamian Island is located on the west side of Ren Minqiao, Liwan District, Guangzhou. This is the most European place, and it is a famous foreign affairs tourist area and historical relics protection area in Guangzhou. The scenic spots here include Notre Dame Catholic Church, Soviet Consulate, Shamian Park, Zhenjiang Ancient Gun and so on.

Third, Baiyun Mountain.

Ticket price: 5 yuan

Opening hours: it is open all day, and the cableway is open from 9:00- 18:00.

Best season to play: Autumn is the best.

Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain has beautiful scenery and is a good place for weekend leisure and holiday. It is located in Baiyun District, Guangzhou. It's good to go to Baiyun Mountain with some friends in autumn. Famous scenic spots include Lugu Lake Park and Honghu Tower, Fangju Garden, Baiyun Fairy Pavilion and Xinghe River.

Guangzhou Changlong Tourist Resort is a theme amusement park that many people like. It should be good to go to Chimelong Water Park in summer, which is a good place for leisure and entertainment. Famous scenic spots, Chimelong Wildlife World, Chimelong Happy World, Chimelong Water Park, Chimelong International Circus, etc. It is best to go in April and 1 1 month.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street

Ticket price: free of charge

Opening hours: open all day.

Best season: September to165438+1October.

Shangjiu Pedestrian Street is located in Liwan District, Guangzhou. This pedestrian street can taste many local specialties in Guangzhou, such as fresh shrimp wonton and shrimp glue, as well as snacks such as rice rolls and double skin milk. This is a very busy pedestrian street. You can see the arcade, xiguan big house, bamboo building and other buildings, and visit the beautiful architectural corridor, which attracts many foreign tourists.

The intransitive verb Lingnan Impression Garden

Ticket price: 60 yuan/piece.

Opening hours: 9:00- 17:00.

Best season to play: Autumn is suitable for sightseeing.

Lingnan Impression Garden is located in Guangzhou University Town, Guangdong Province. This is an interesting place. You can experience Lingnan customs and taste the special food here. The architecture here is the charm of Jiangnan water town. There are quadrangles, ancient streets, ancestral halls, stages, memorial archways and so on. It is a tourist, leisure and entertainment place to experience Lingnan folk culture.

Seven. Shishi Sacred Heart Cathedral

Ticket price: free of charge

Opening hours: 8:00- 17:30.

Best season to play: four seasons

The architectural style of Sacred Heart of Stone Cathedral is that Gothic architecture, which looks very beautiful. Many foreign tourists will come here to take pictures. Sometimes religious activities are held here. In front of the church, there are a pair of towering double-pointed stone towers and a big bronze bell brought from France. The church with colored windows looks particularly beautiful, inlaid with French-made crimson and blue-green glass.

8 million sunflower gardens

Admission price: weekdays 140 yuan, weekends 150 yuan.

Opening hours: 9:00- 17:00.

Best season to play: suitable for spring, summer and autumn.

Wankui Garden in Nansha is a beautiful holiday resort. On weekends, you can go to play. There are rose gardens, lavender gardens and sunflower gardens. Friends who like to enjoy flowers can consider this place. There are many interesting amusement facilities in Wankui Garden, and there are many cute cartoon characters in Animation Harbor, which are suitable for bringing children to play.

Nine. Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family

Ticket price: 10 yuan/person.

Opening hours: 8:30- 17:30.

Best season to play: four seasons

Chenjiaci is a tourist attraction full of Guangzhou customs and Lingnan characteristics, where complete residential buildings in the late Qing Dynasty are preserved. You can see more unique sculptures here. The seafood barbecue food street near Chenjiaci is also famous. The seafood here is delicious and the business is booming, so it's worth a try.

X. Baishui village scenic spot

Ticket price: 60 yuan

Opening hours: 08:30~ 17:30.

Best season: September to 65438+February.

Baishui village scenic spot is a good place to climb mountains and see the scenery. Lush trees and fresh air. On weekends, you can climb mountains with relatives or friends, overlook the beautiful scenery, enjoy the daffodil waterfall at close range and feel the momentum of the waterfall flowing down.

5. Notre Dame de Lutheran Catholic Church

Notre Dame de Jianshan

Located at the top of Xijian Mountain in Huzhuang, Pingyin County, Jinan, it has a religious history of more than 400 years and is famous at home and abroad. Catholicism was introduced into Pingyin in 1604, which is the oldest and most influential Catholic settlement in Shandong province. 1989 was restored with the approval of Shandong Provincial Bureau of Religious Affairs. The restored Notre Dame de Paris sits west to east with a building area of 270 square meters. The main building is 25 meters high and the bell tower is more than 60 meters high. Simple and elegant, it can accommodate more than 300 people to recite scriptures and make pilgrimages at the same time. It is one of the largest Catholic churches in China.

Church of Our Lady of Sheshan

Located in Sheshan, Songjiang District, the bell tower is 38 meters high, the top of the hall is 17 meters high, the east-west length is 56 meters, and there are 25 places at the widest point, which can accommodate more than 3,000 people. On the dome at the top, there is a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary supporting Jesus. There are three holy places in Zhongshan Hall: Notre Dame Pavilion, Sacred Heart Pavilion and Yue Se Pavilion. Between Zhongshan Hall and the peak lobby, there are 14 suffering statues. 1September 2, 942, named second-class Hal.

Songhua River Road, located at the northern end of Jilin Bridge, from 19 17 to 1926, was built by French Parisian Catholic priests Lan Luye and Gurussel when they came to Jilin to preach. Destroyed in the ten-year turmoil, 1986 was rebuilt with the approval of the Provincial Religious Affairs Bureau, and was used to carry out Jiaori and Doumu temple fairs. Every temple fair, religious men and women come here to burn incense, and there is an endless stream.

6. The Catholic Church of Jesus Christ

1. Vatican Cathedral of St. Peter

St Peter's Vatican Church is located in the Vatican. It is the residence of the Roman Catholic Pope in the Vatican. This church is an architectural temple worth visiting, because it is the largest and most spectacular Catholic church in the world. This church was built in16th century, and there are many artistic treasures called priceless assets here.

Designed by Michelangelo, it is a church in the Christian archdiocese, a pilgrimage site for members of the archdiocese and the Pope Vatican. It is one of the five largest churches in the world.

2. Milan Cathedral, Italy

Milan Cathedral is the largest church in medieval Europe, the famous Catholic church in Italy, Milan Cathedral, one of the five largest churches in the world and the second largest church in the world. Milan Cathedral, located in the cathedral square in the center of Milan, is a landmark building in Milan. Founded in 1386, it took 500 years to build. There are 135 minarets in the church, each with a statue. Sculptures and minarets are one of the characteristics of Gothic architecture.

3. Seville Cathedral, Spain

Seville Cathedral is the third cathedral in the world after St. Peter. American Cathedral in Vatican and Milan Cathedral in Italy. It used to be the largest religious building in the Christian world. This church was built at the beginning of15th century, and was converted from the former site of Islamic temple. This church combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles and is a rare architectural model.

4. Florence Cathedral, Italy

Florence Cathedral generally refers to Notre Dame de Flowers, also known as Notre Dame de Flowers. It is the fourth cathedral in the world and belongs to Florence Gothic style. It is one of the most beautiful churches in the world, with the architectural style of Renaissance.

The church is mainly composed of cathedral, bell tower and Baptist church, and is currently listed as a world cultural heritage. The season suitable for sightseeing is autumn. The dome of the cathedral is recognized as the first work of Italian Renaissance architecture and a symbol of Florence.

5. St. Paul's Cathedral in England

St Paul's Cathedral, located in London, England, is a world-famous religious shrine, the fifth cathedral in the world, the first cathedral in Britain and the second largest dome church in the world.

The architectural style of this church is baroque. 198 1 year, the wedding of Diana and Charles was held here. The elegant and beautiful architectural design here was designed by British architect Christollet Ian.

6. Cologne Cathedral in Germany

Cologne Cathedral is a landmark building in Cologne, Germany, built in 1248. It is the third highest church in the world, a typical Gothic church and the third largest Gothic church in the world. The first two are Seville Cathedral and Milan Cathedral. It is said that it is the most perfect Gothic church building in the world.

7. St. Kyle's Cathedral, Italy

St. Kyle's Cathedral is located in Venice, Italy. It was built in 829 AD and stands in St. Kyle Square in the center of Venice. Built in 829 AD, 1043 to 107 1 rebuilt, it was once the largest church in medieval Europe and a classic of Venetian architecture.

There are many artistic treasures in this church which combines the architectural styles of East and West. It looks very beautiful and amazing.

8. Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is located in Paris, France. This church was built between 1 163 and 1250. Its architectural style is Gothic, and it is the cathedral of the Catholic parish. On April/0/5, 18: 50, the Notre Dame tower caught fire, and the fire spread rapidly one hour later (Notre Dame fire accident on April 4/0/5).

On the morning of April 16, local time, the fire was put out for 14 hours. Its status and historical value are unparalleled, and it is one of the most brilliant buildings in history. This church has a large collection of art treasures and is a tourist attraction in Paris, France.

9. Sagrada Familia Church in Spain

Sagrada Familia is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. If you want to visit, I suggest going in autumn. Tickets 15 euros or so. It was designed by the famous architect antoinio gaudi. This church is currently selected as a World Heritage by UNESCO.

This is a large Roman Catholic church. No matter where you are in Barcelona, Spain, just look up and you can see it. The whole building is gorgeous and amazing, which is a miracle in the history of architecture.

10. Ascension Church of St. Vasily, Russia

St basil's Ascension Cathedral is located at the southern end of Red Square in the center of Moscow, the Russian capital. It is a classic symbol of Russia, close to the Kremlin. It was built by Russian architects Balma and Posnick under the command of the Tsar and Archduke Ivan, and was completed in 1560. The central tower is 46 meters high and has nine golden onion-like church roofs.

7. Catholic Church

The best preserved, largest and oldest Catholic church in southwest China, Sichuan School is characterized by Gothic style.

Bishan District, located in the west of Chongqing, is under the jurisdiction of Chongqing. It emerged from the mountain, like a white stone, as bright as jade.

Lutang is located in Jintang Lake, Zhengxing Town, Bishan District, Chongqing. It was built by a French priest in the 26th year of Guangxu (AD 1890). Bishan Pipa Hall is the largest Catholic church in southwest China. Its architectural appearance has strong China Chuanpai architectural features and Gothic architectural style. Despite the wind and rain, it still reveals elegance and solemnity, and it is a classic representative of the new Chinese style.

According to the records in Genesis, the time when Catholicism was introduced into Bishan County was the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty (1796). Around the fifth year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty, missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missionary Society came to Bishan to preach and build churches, including Zhengxing, where Loudetang was located. Later, French missionaries rebuilt a new church on Fortan Bridge (beside Lake Kashur).

Loududian 1899 broke ground and was completed in three years. In its heyday, the church occupied a total area of12,340 square meters, including more than 4,000 square meters of houses and more than 8,000 square meters of garden green space. After the completion of the church, the architectural pattern was very magnificent, and it became one of the largest and most beautiful churches in Chongqing and even the whole southwest at that time.

This century-old Gothic building was once one of the five existing buildings. Notre Dame Church has experienced a hundred years of vicissitudes in China. Notre Dame de Paris was dedicated in Lourde, and the then Zhengxing Catholic Church chose Notre Dame de Lourde as its patron, so it was named Lourde Church.

The front door of the church remains the same, with mottled white walls and icons on the left and right. Above the door is a large Catholic church with a blue-green cross at the top.

Go in and look at the words on the traditional wall in China. It says that the Catholic church is written in the middle of the roof, and couplets are written on both sides:

Holy reform glorifies God,

The distant bell awakened the lost direction.

There are four big characters on the banner: trust, hope and love.

The main hall is elegant in shape, and the hall is made of ancient stone without lacquer decoration. The style of the whole facade is a very obvious combination of Chinese and Western, which expresses the characteristics of China archway architecture in the eyes of foreigners. The facade can be roughly divided into three parts, the lower part is five arched doorways, the middle part is decorated, the top is consistent with the two courtyard doors, Latin crosses are installed, and China decorative eaves are under the blue tile eaves.

When you walk into the church, you will feel the beauty of this Gothic building all the time. Its main building is magnificent; The annex buildings are closely combined with the traditional architectural styles of China, and complement each other.

From the completion of the church to 1948, Lutheran Church has always been a gathering place for Catholics in Chongqing, France, Britain and other countries. There are always carriages of believers around the church every week, bustling and bustling.

The roof of this 600-square-meter building is a blue arc dome supported by two rows of ten large stone pillars. There are three altars at the top, with the Virgin Ruth in the middle, Yue Se on the left and Jesus on the right. On both sides of the wall are 14 portraits of Jesus' suffering.

The most amazing thing is the perfect application of optics and acoustics in the design of the main church more than 20 years ago. Here, you will find that chairs and people will leave shadows under the light, but the ten stone pillars supporting the dome have no shadows at all. All this is because the designers at that time have considered the placement of columns and adopted unique lighting design. In addition, the arc dome design can also make the whole hall have the effect of gathering sound. No matter where you speak, you can hear clearly in other places.

From the completion of the church to 1948, Lutheran Church has always been a gathering place for Catholics in Chongqing, France, Britain and other countries. There are always carriages of believers around the church every week, bustling and bustling.

There used to be churches in Bishan and other towns, but they were destroyed by the religious plan after the Sino-British Coalition government and the Cultural Revolution. So, why is the century-old church of Lourde Church well preserved?

1948, the missionaries left China, and the church was nationalized after China and North Korea jointly established the government. 1953, Bishan county government changed Loude Hall into a granary. 1958, Zhengxing Middle School transformed the church into a teaching point; It was not until 1989 that all the existing buildings of the church were returned. Because of the school and its remote location, it is also an important reason that the preservation of Lu is rare in the whole country.

The charm of Chongqing spreads in every corner of the city. Bishan has a good ecology and beautiful scenery, and the human landscape and natural landscape complement each other. Since Lutang was built in 1902,