Churches in China 
cctv.com 05-16-2005 10:04
Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Worship God the highest. Before I came to China, I didn鈥檛 worry about finding a church here. But what I didn鈥檛 expect is there are so many of them and so involved with Chinese history. Hello I am Laurel Bennett. In today鈥檚 rediscovering China, let鈥檚 take a look at churches in China.
It鈥檚 8 o鈥檆lock in the morning. Mass is underway in the largest Catholic Church in the capital city of Beijing.
The congregation is mostly made up of people who live in the neighborhood. Some families have three or four generations of believers, but the history of Jesus in China dates back much earlier than that.
Jesus commanded his followers to take God鈥檚 love the Jesus鈥 renovation from the dead to every corner of the world. They listened and obeyed. It鈥檚 even said that Apostle Thomas traveled first to India and then in 61 AD to the ancient capital of Xi鈥檃n to tell the people of China about Jesus Christ.
Legend has it that the Apostle Thomas, after he took the message of Jesus Christ to ancient India in 51 AD, continued his journey to China. Ten years later, the vast middle kingdom heard the Gospel for the first time.
Xi鈥檃n, capital city of Tang Dynasty, was once the most prosperous, hospitable, tolerant and divert place in the world. The existence of Christianity in China at that time is not just a hypothesis but a statement backed with strong evidence. Chinese characters inscribed on a black marble monument unearthed in Xi鈥檃n read, "The Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-ch'in Luminous Religion in the Middle Kingdom." Characters on the stone described the arrival of a missionary, Olopen (or Alopen), in 635 AD.
At that time, most Chinese people believed in Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism. In an effort to reach the people, early missionaries built churches in form of Buddhism temples, most which can no longer be found today.
In the middle of a street in northeastern Beijing stands the remnant of a wall taking those who see it back to the Yuan Dynasty in 13th century when most of Asia was territory of China. Who could ever forget the infamous conqueror, Khubilai Khan?
You might think I am standing in front of a Chinese temple. Take a closer look, you will find it鈥檚 a different place to worship. Actually it鈥檚 a protestant Church.
This church was built in the early 20 century. But it gave us a hint how early churches took a Chinese look. Inside the basilica hall there is an altar. The wooden board reads the songs and scripture passages for the coming service. But from the street, one can hardly tell it鈥檚 a church. The roof, the gray wall, the pattern are traditional Chinese. Looking down from above, you鈥檇 think it鈥檚 no different from the neighboring buildings. That鈥檚 exactly what the first wave of churches intended: to bring a new message to a culture, not to transplant a foreign culture.
This church is in Guiyang, a southwestern Chinese province. The bell tower is actually a Chinese pagoda, while the gate is adopted from Pailou, a memorial gate prevalent in local constructions. But still there are some hints, like the three Chinese characters which read 鈥淐atholic Church鈥 and the stained-glass window like those found on the facades of Gothic churches.
1601, an Italian missionary was on his way to China鈥檚 capital to meet the emperor. 18 years had passed since Matteo Ricci had first landed in coastal city of Guangzhou, managed to get close to the local people, officials, influential scholars. At last, he received the chance to face the most powerful man in the nation and to tell him about Jesus Christ.
He was a bit nervous, but the mound of gifts on the carriage made him feel better. Among them, a map with China as the center of the world and a precious clock, which was the emperor鈥檚 favorite. Eight days after he gave it to the King, r it stopped, and Ricci was the only one to repair it.
Perhaps moved by his perseverance, perhaps by the need of someone to repair the watches and clocks, the emperor asked Ricci to stay and allowed him to build a small church outside the palace wall.
Nantang Cathedral, or the South Church was the first church built in Beijing, and it was where Ricci prayed. The original building is said to have had a Chinese look outside, but a western interior.
The current South church was built in 1905. After four separate renovations, it has gradually shed the Chinese skin and put up a real western face. Still, one can find some evidence of it鈥檚 ancient Chinese roots, like the garden where a statue of the Virgin Mary stands, and the stone monuments which record the history of Ricci, and of his friendship with the emperor.
Ricci and Von Bell鈥檚 relationship with emperor paid off. Christianity flourished all over China in the following years. Most of the churches met in traditional Chinese style buildings which included an interesting combination of local architectural features and religious flavor.
It鈥檚 said that the crane is the national bird of China. Everywhere you look, you see construction sites. It鈥檚 proof that China is a country running towards the modern age. Many of the blueprints are drawn by the worlds鈥 top architects from different countries. The earliest works of western architects in China were all churches, and the very first one was in Shanghai.
Xu Jiahui, the commercial center of Shanghai. It means the place belonged to the Xu Family. And its ancestor, Xu Guangqi, was a friend of Ricci鈥檚.
St lgnatius, middle age Gothic style, shaped in a Latin cross in square design. There are all kinds of stories about the largest Catholic church in Shanghai. Some said it was designed by a French architect, some believe it was a Spaniard. One legend asserts that the large altar was transported in one piece from Paris in Easter of 1919, and that this church was at one time, the largest in the Far East.
At least one thing is certain: the 60 meter high Catholic Cathedral built in 1910, was the first completely western styled structure in China. As a reminder of its history, there is a picture of Ricci and Xu Guangqi, Ricci鈥檚 friend who helped him translate many western science books into Chinese.
Built on a western blueprint, designed by westerner, and incorporates every feature of a Gothic church: apse, arcade, capital, clerestory, crocket, vault, rib鈥he church has 19 altars, and a sanctuary large enough seat 2500 people.
In fact, almost 50 years before the St lgnatius Cathedral was built, under the unequal treaty between China and France that was signed under gunfire, western countries won the right to build churches wherever they desired and in whatever form they liked. In many big cities, churches began to differ in no way from their western counterparts.
In the early 19 century, the city of Shanghai had 120 churches, and tens of thousands Christians. In the capital of Beijing錛宼here are four churches surrounding the emperor鈥檚 place: north, south, east and west.
More and more Chinese came to the church, firstly out of curiosity, later out of the love of God.
This street used to be called Jiang Mi alley. Jiang Mi was the kind construction material you can find on Chinese structures, like the Great Wall or in the emperor鈥檚 palace. In the early 20th century, the material was also used to build churches, and in time, the alley saw more and more western faces and embassies, until its name was changed to Eastern Diplomatic alley. The new name moved into history book and words beside that are fire and war.
This is St Michael鈥檚 church. Michael was one of the angels and warriors to protect the people. During the war, like many other churches, this church was attacked.
Western invasion won Christian freedom to establish churches, but also induce anger towards white invaders. Churches became the target of local resistance. That was the fate of the St Michaels on the eastern diploma alley.
Fire, war and natural disasters destroyed churches in Beijing again and again. Most of them experienced several times reconstruction. The best example is the famous four churches in the capital city. East, west, north and south.
South Church
1605 Built by Ricci
1712 Rebuilt the first time
1720 Destroyed by earthquake
1721 Rebuilt the second time
1730 Destroyed by earthquake
1775 Destroyed by fire
Rebuilt the fourth time
1900 Destroyed by the Boxers
1904 Rebuilt the fifth time
East Church
1655 Built at Wang Fujing
1662 Rebuilt the first time
1712 Rebuilt the second time
1720 Destroyed by earthquake
1807 Destroyed by fire
1884 Rebuilt the third time
1900 Destroyed by the Boxers
1904 Rebuilt the fourth time
West Church
1722 Built at Xi Zhimen
1811 Destroyed
1867 Rebuilt the first time
1900 Destroyed by the Boxers
1912 Rebuilt the second time
North Church
1703 Built at Chan Shikou
1730 Destroyed by earthquake
1827 Destroyed
1866 Rebuilt
1886 Moved to Xi Shiku
1900 Attacked by the Boxers
1902 Rennovated
the year 2004, high-tech companies are just as many as restaurants and bars in the Beijing city. The boss of this Sino information company is a couple; both of them are history doctors of Chicago University. They told me there is something special about their office.
Underneath the floor, there is a pit, actually a baptize pit.
From clips of last century鈥檚 US newspaper, one can see how the church used to be when American Elder Association built it in the year of 1911. And of course, the red star stood for the ages during the cultural revolution, when the church was used as a warehouse. And then the restoration of Sino company, and it regained all its glory.
This church had a cunning design. From the street you will think it鈥檚 just a common residential house. Only experts can discover the truth behind the Chinese look.
Perhaps learned from the conflict between Catholic church and Chinese, churches after 1900 took another approach in China. Most of architectures tried to find a balance between religious tradition and Chinese habit.
Like the church in Yunnan tropical forest, which is constructed by the local red brick, straw roof, but the whole structure is still a Greek Cross.
Not far from it, this church is just indistinguishable. It has almost everything one can find in typical Chinese gardens. Were it not for the cross on top, the true purpose of the building would remain a mystery.
Wang Fujing, the commercial center of Beijing.
The Eastern Church has 300 years鈥 history, much older than places around it like Starbucks, shopping malls and theaters. But it still remains to be a valuable for people both coming inside and outside.
The east church also has an interesting history. After 1949, it was used as a primary school. And then the government gave it back to the Christian community in the1980. In a plan to rebuild the commercial area, the yard of the church was opened to become a square.
When night falls, lights outline the grand building and the statue of St, Peter. A tranquil air dominated the area and in it is the beauty of the church never faded with time.
錛圫inging錛
One week before Christmas, the community church in Shanghai had an early celebration.
Churches don鈥檛 change much in China nowadays. Some new ones come up, and no old ones run down. But church goers is an ever increasing group. There are 300,000 foreigners in Shanghai. Many of them believe in God.
Only a few hundred years history, Churches have been special places in the land of ancient middle kingdom. Most of them stand quietly in the crowded streets, buried in the surrounding of skyscrapers. Their stories are seldom retold, but they won鈥檛 be forgotten.
Jesus told Apostle John: write the things you鈥檝e seen, the things which are and the things that will take place after this. The message of Jesus Christ has truly been to the end of the earth, as these words have been inscribed on the walls of the churches on the oriental nation as well.
Editor:Hu Source:CCTV.com
