The Apostolic Prefecture of Shaowu is a apostolic prefecture located in the city of Shaowu that is immediately subject to the Holy See. On May 21 1938, the Apostolic Vicariate of Jian'ou was established and placed under the care of the Salvatorians. In 1950, there were around 5112 faithful in the jurisdiction.
It is a county-level city in northwestern Fujian province, People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the Wuyi Mountains and bordering Jiangxi province to the west. It has more than 100,000 inhabitants. The local dialect combines elements from Northern Min and Gan Chinese.
Shaowu has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with short, mild winters and very hot, humid summers. The monthly daily mean temperature ranges from 7.5 °C (45.5 °F) in January to 27.9 °C (82.2 °F) in July. There is a marked decline in rainfall in autumn and early winter, and rainfall is both frequent and heavy during spring and early summer.