CHUNGKING, ARCHDIOCESE OF. - It is located in the south-eastern part of the civil province of Szechwan (China); it originated on 2 April 1856 and was called the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Southern Szechwan (v. Chungking); on 24 January 1860 it was divided into two: the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Szechwan (v. Suifu) and the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Szechwan. This latter, on 3 December 1924, took the name of C., and on 2 August 1929 was again divided, giving rise to the Apostolic Vicariate of Wanshen (v.).
For its establishment, the mission of C. was divided into two non-contiguous parts of territory: that to the south-west of Wanshen, which is dependent on C., and that to the north-east of Wanshen, which is dependent on the city of Fengkhei. The entire territory is entrusted to the Paris Foreign Missions Society. On 11 April 1946 the Apostolic Vicariate was elevated to an archdiocese and metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Szechwan.
The area is approximately 80,000 sq. km.; the total population, as of 30 June 1947, was approximately 11,000,000, of whom 38,948 were Catholics and 1,572 were catechumens; the missionary personnel, in addition to the archbishop, consisted of 24 foreign priests and 64 Chinese priests, 6 Marist Brothers of whom 5 were Chinese; there were 129 churches, of which 104 were Chinese. Among the works, in addition to the seminary, there were 2 orphanages, 3 hospitals, 5 medical dispensaries, 1 printing press; the schools, both primary and secondary, numbered 147 with 7,976 pupils.