At 3 p.m. Monday at the South Cathedral, one of the most ancient cathedrals of Beijing, in Xuanwumen, Xicheng District, Catholics were swarming to attend Mass from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Soldiers don a different uniform as they bring joy to orphans in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on Christmas Eve. Jia Ce/For China Daily

Thousands of people are expected to spend the Christmas Eve here.

A 20-year-old girl, surnamed Zhao, is spending her first Christmas in Beijing. Coming from a Catholic family, she is used to celebrating Christmas at a local cathedral in her hometown. This year, she is helping prepare Mass in the cathedral in Beijing.

Another Catholic, surnamed Yang, is waiting for the beginning of Mass and expressed, "For real Catholics like us, Christmas is a day to remember the birth of Jesus. It moves me and gives me power."

Yang said the Christmas atmosphere had been commercialized in China, which had nothing to do with religious belief.

"It's completely different from our real Christmas," he said.