Earlier today, Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy, together Fr. J. Cesar R. Marin (Parish Priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) and Fr. Brian C. Brigoli Chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission of the Cultural Heritage of the Church), unveiled the newest addition to the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu, the painting of Our Lady Queen of China.
The artwork, an oil painting by Jose “Kimsoy” Yap Jr. (b. 1944), was commissioned by the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Pastoral Council (2025) and donated by Elizabeth Gan-Go.
The title Our Lady Queen of China traces its roots to the devotion to Our Lady of Donglü (Latin: Nostra Domina de Sina) in Hebei Province, China.
The devotion began in 1900, when, according to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in white during the Boxer Rebellion to protect the Christian community of Donglü, accompanied by a radiant horseman believed to be St. Michael the Archangel.
To commemorate this miraculous event, a local priest named Father Rene Flament of the Congregation of the Mission commissioned an image of Mary styled after the Chinese Empress Dowager Ci Xi, inspired by the Marian image of Our Lady of Laeken in Belgium.
In 1924, Donglü became a place of pilgrimage and was officially recognized by the Church when Pope Pius XI approved the devotion in 1928.
In continuity with this deep faith, Pope Francis granted a decree of canonical coronation in February 2021 for a Marian image venerated at the National Shrine of China in Chiayi County, Taiwan.
In August 2022, the rite of coronation was carried out — affirming her enduring significance as a symbol of faith, protection, and unity among Chinese Catholics.