The brick spires and green dome of the Church of St. Sophia rising out of the chaos east of Zhongyang Dajie are the divine reminders of a more inspired age in architecture. Erected in 1907 and rebuilt several times, the church took its current form in 1932. The handiwork is still visible on the vaulted ceilings and painted chambers, despite near-destruction by the Red Guards in the 1960s and a restoration in 1996. The church is now home to the Harbin Architecture Arts Center. An exhibition inside contains photos of other churches, old newspaper clippings, and an interesting scale model of Nangang District in the 1920s. The rear cloister, used for storage prior to 2002, now contains a small but interesting collection of religious objects. The church's incongruous beauty is enhanced by dozens of white pigeons (kept in place with the promise of free food from feeders in the surrounding square). Pocket-size guides to old Harbin, with color photos and bilingual introductions to several buildings, are sold inside.
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