YUNGCHOW, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. - In the southern part of the province of Hunan (central China).
It was erected on 12 May 1925 with 21 civil sub-prefectures from the apostolic vicariate of Changsha and entrusted to the Friars Minor of Bolzano. On 3 June 1938 it ceded 9 civil Paoting (v.).
Area 44,000 sq. km., with approximately 5,000,000 inhabitants, of whom 3,000 were Catholics; 11 priests (2 Chinese); 17 sisters (2 native); 1 hospital, 3 dispensaries, 2 orphanages. The 9 elementary schools and 2 vocational schools had already been closed (30 June 1947).
The beginnings of the faith date back to the beginning of the last century. The first apostles were persons who, having gone to the neighbouring region of Szechwan for trade or work, embraced Catholicism there and, on their return, shared it with their families and fellow countrymen. The first missionaries were the Chinese priests Nicola Ho, from the province of Szechwan, and Giuseppe Taung, from the province of Kwangtung, both former pupils of the College of Naples, founded by the Venerable Matteo Ripa. The first European missionary was Fr. Giovanni Lantrua da Triora (v.), who died a martyr at Changsha on 13 Feb. 1816 and was beatified in 1900. But development was slow: before the Boxer persecution (1907), no town had a church or chapel, and the few Christians were scattered throughout the countryside of four districts. By 1925 preaching had been extended to 12 districts, 10 towns had a church or chapel, and there were approximately 7,000 Christians.