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BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- For many Christian visitors to Beijing, a downtown church provides not only a place of worship but also a good place to understand the religion's history in this vast Asian cosmopolitan.

With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, the main Catholic and Protestant churches in the Chinese capital are expecting an influx of foreign visitors looking for a unique experience of going to a local church.

Christianity first developed in China from at least the seventh century and further grew after the first Protestant missionary set up in 1807. Most Beijing churches were built duringthe Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and have been refurbished many times.

Beijing has four major Catholic churches and are more commonly known by their cardinal reference points on the compass rather than religious names. The Xishiku Catholic Church or Church of Savoir are known as Beitang, or North Church.

Non-Catholic religious activity in China started in 1807, led by Robert Morrison's missionary work in the southern part of the country. The Protestant presence in Beijing began in 1861, a year after the provisions of the Peking Convention (an unequal treaty the Qing government were forced to sign allowing foreigners to live in the capital) went into effect.

Since the Chinese constitution was amended in 1982 to allow freedom of religion, the number of Christians in China had steadily grew. By 2006, the number had surpassed 16 million, according to the China Christian Council.

The churches in Beijing function not only as places of worship for thousands of local Christians but also as a reminder of the long history of Christianity in the country and its lasting influence.