CHAOSIEN, Diocese of. — It is located in the south-western part of the civil province of Hopeh (China). It was erected as an Apostolic Prefecture on 18 March 1929 by division of the Apostolic Vicariate of Chengtingfu and entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy; on 11 January 1932 it was elevated to an Apostolic Vicariate and on 11 April 1946 to a diocese, a suffragan of Peking.
It has an area of 4,200 sq. km. The population, as of 30 June 1947, was approximately 900,000. Catholics numbered 45,000. Christian origins in this territory date back more than 300 years. The missionary personnel, as of the same date, consisted of 39 Chinese secular priests and 68 Chinese sisters, in addition to a good number of catechists, baptizers and teachers.
BIBL.: GM, p. 191; Annuaire de l'Eglise catholique en Chine 1948, Sciangai 1948, passim; MC, pp. 73-74. Adamo Pucci