Christmas churches in Beijing
24 dicembre 2017
Churches to visit during Christmas in Beijing
gbtimes.com/churches-visit-d…feature=christmas
If you are tired of shopping with friends at Christmas and need some quiet time, it is always a good choice to visit one of Beijing’s many churches.
While these 100-year-old churches may hide in the Hutongs and are hard to find, most of them are still in good condition and are on the list of important cultural relic sites under state-level protection.
St Joseph's Church
(Photo: Flickr/Fr. Gaurav Shroff)
Location: No.74 Wangfujing Street
Opening Hours: 6:15, 7:00, 8:00 on Sunday & 6:15, 7:00 Monday to Saturday
Contact: (010) 65240634
If you ever take a walk along Wangfujing Shopping Street in Beijing’s city centre, you will have no difficulty in finding the nearby St Joseph's Church.
Also known as the East Church, its three-floor Roman architecture stands on a platform one metre higher than the square. Combined with many great traditional Chinese styles and decorations, the main church consists of three towers with the belfry in the middle.
First built in 1655 during the Qing Dynasty by two missionaries from Italy and Portugal, it is the second Catholic Church in Beijing. Unfortunately, the original church was damaged in a fire in the 19th century and was rebuilt in 1904.
During the reconstruction of Wangfujing Street, the fences of St Joseph's Church were removed and this led to it standing open in the middle of the square.
Today, St Joseph's Church is home not only to religious ceremonies but also musical performances. Chinese pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei, who has played music in many of the world’s famous churches, recently performed “The Secrets of Bach: Goldberg Variations” in October.
Additionally, if you want some peace and quiet while close to the city, then the square of St Joseph's Church is the perfect place.
Xuanwumen Church
(Photo: Flicker.com by Bridget Coila)
Location: No.141 Qianmen West Street
Opening Hours: 6:00-9:00 daily
Contact: (010) 66037139
Xuanwumen Church became the first Catholic Church in Beijing after the famous Italian missionary Matteo Ricci built a scripture hall here back during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
The church has three levels of yards. The first yard has a pair of Chinese doors and the main building of the church stands in the east part of the yard, while the west part houses the offices.
Made from bricks and in a Baroque style, the main church also contains many wall engravings and curves which are embedded with Chinese art.
The three arch doors on the front side are intricately-decorated with complicated and delicate curves that create a sombre atmosphere and a sense of peace. Alongside the Baroque decorations, there is a Chinese-style stone gate leading into the main building.
The interior of the building is designed as a dome, with windows decorated by colourful roses.
Xishiku Church
(Photo:Flickr/Matthew Stinson)
Location: No.33 Xishiku Street
Opening Hours: 6:00-7:00 Monday to Saturday & 6:00-18:00 Sundays
Contact: (010) 66175198
Xishiku Church, also called the North Church, is a reconstruction of the very first church opened to the public during the Qing Dynasty (around 1703). The one we can see today was rebuilt in 1900.
The North Church is one of the biggest churches in Beijing, covering an area of nearly 2,200 square metres, and the highest part of the church reaches to 31 metres.
Back in the 18th century, two Catholic missionaries successfully cured Kangxi Emperor and were granted this piece of land to build a church. It was damaged a lot during the war at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the North Church, you can see how well Chinese architecture and culture has been merged with this Gothic building.
The building itself has three-floors with a total of 11 steeples on the top. However, if you explore the courtyard, you can find the main gate of the church is guarded by a surprising pair of stone lions, as well as a pair of Chinese pavilions, which are the typical symbol of Chinese architecture.
There are also white marble fences within the yard, together with the statues of St John and St Paul. A daily mass is still held in the North Church and there are also activities during Christmastime.
St Michael’s Church
(Photo: China Radio International)
Location: No.13 on Dongjiaominxiang Street
Opening Hours: Call for more information
Contact: (010) 65135170
Located in Dongjiaominxiang, the longest hutong in Beijing, St Michael’s Church was built in 1901 and is the last Catholic Church ever built in the Chinese capital.
Once part of the French embassy during the late-Qing dynasty, it is highly reminiscent of a French church with Gothic architectural style.
Compared to other churches, St Michael’s has a shorter history and is slightly smaller. However, it has many details embedded in its decorations.
Due to it late construction time, St Michael’s is the only church that hasn't suffered from damage during fights and wars. It has two steep towers decorated with curved flowers and two Niches are on both sides of the front door, with the east one for St Paul and the west for St Peter.
In the centre of the two French front doors decorated with coloured glass is a graceful and detailed statue of St Michael.
There are 10 traditional Chinese single-storey houses to the east of the church, with arch-structured doors to enter. These houses are perfect examples of combining Chinese buildings with western architecture.
Kuan Street Christian Church
(Photo: Public domain)
Location: No.10 on Dongbanqiao Street
Opening Hours: 8:00-11:00 Tuesday-Friday & 19:00-20:30 Tuesday and Friday
Contact: (010) 84039432
Kuanjie Christian Church is no longer located on Kuanjie Street. It was moved to its current address in 2000, but kept its original name. Built by local Christian organizations back in the 1930s, the church was first used as an assembly.
The main building is a two storey white construction with two red wooden doors leading into the main hall. Located in a Hutong as well, it is quite small but still inspires peace and love as other churches.
Despite limited space for big activities, it holds regular masses and activities on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Church became famous when former US President George Bush spent some time with his family for mass here during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Haidian Christian Church
(Photo: www.hdchurch.org)
Location: No.9 Caihefang Street, Haidian District
Opening Hours: Check the website for more information
Contact: (010) 62572902
Haidian Church is a modern building that combines worship halls and office spaces together within one building. The whole construction uses 193 white pillars to enclose a Noah’s Ark-like space which represents the unity of the church.
The church building is 48 meters in height with three swinging bronze bells on top, which echo far over Zhongguancun on Sundays and during Christian festivals.
The second floor is the main hall, enclosing a space of three floors and boasts a capacity of 1,200 people. In the main hall, the platform was designed more like one inside a traditional Jewish church, which is quite different from other Christian churches. On the first floor is a deputy hall with a capacity of 500.
Located in Zhongguancun, the Silicon Valley in China, Haidian Christian Church always welcomes people from all over the world to enjoy the peace and love
gbtimes.com/churches-visit-d…feature=christmas
If you are tired of shopping with friends at Christmas and need some quiet time, it is always a good choice to visit one of Beijing’s many churches.
While these 100-year-old churches may hide in the Hutongs and are hard to find, most of them are still in good condition and are on the list of important cultural relic sites under state-level protection.
St Joseph's Church
(Photo: Flickr/Fr. Gaurav Shroff)
Location: No.74 Wangfujing Street
Opening Hours: 6:15, 7:00, 8:00 on Sunday & 6:15, 7:00 Monday to Saturday
Contact: (010) 65240634
If you ever take a walk along Wangfujing Shopping Street in Beijing’s city centre, you will have no difficulty in finding the nearby St Joseph's Church.
Also known as the East Church, its three-floor Roman architecture stands on a platform one metre higher than the square. Combined with many great traditional Chinese styles and decorations, the main church consists of three towers with the belfry in the middle.
First built in 1655 during the Qing Dynasty by two missionaries from Italy and Portugal, it is the second Catholic Church in Beijing. Unfortunately, the original church was damaged in a fire in the 19th century and was rebuilt in 1904.
During the reconstruction of Wangfujing Street, the fences of St Joseph's Church were removed and this led to it standing open in the middle of the square.
Today, St Joseph's Church is home not only to religious ceremonies but also musical performances. Chinese pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei, who has played music in many of the world’s famous churches, recently performed “The Secrets of Bach: Goldberg Variations” in October.
Additionally, if you want some peace and quiet while close to the city, then the square of St Joseph's Church is the perfect place.
Xuanwumen Church
(Photo: Flicker.com by Bridget Coila)
Location: No.141 Qianmen West Street
Opening Hours: 6:00-9:00 daily
Contact: (010) 66037139
Xuanwumen Church became the first Catholic Church in Beijing after the famous Italian missionary Matteo Ricci built a scripture hall here back during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
The church has three levels of yards. The first yard has a pair of Chinese doors and the main building of the church stands in the east part of the yard, while the west part houses the offices.
Made from bricks and in a Baroque style, the main church also contains many wall engravings and curves which are embedded with Chinese art.
The three arch doors on the front side are intricately-decorated with complicated and delicate curves that create a sombre atmosphere and a sense of peace. Alongside the Baroque decorations, there is a Chinese-style stone gate leading into the main building.
The interior of the building is designed as a dome, with windows decorated by colourful roses.
Xishiku Church
(Photo:Flickr/Matthew Stinson)
Location: No.33 Xishiku Street
Opening Hours: 6:00-7:00 Monday to Saturday & 6:00-18:00 Sundays
Contact: (010) 66175198
Xishiku Church, also called the North Church, is a reconstruction of the very first church opened to the public during the Qing Dynasty (around 1703). The one we can see today was rebuilt in 1900.
The North Church is one of the biggest churches in Beijing, covering an area of nearly 2,200 square metres, and the highest part of the church reaches to 31 metres.
Back in the 18th century, two Catholic missionaries successfully cured Kangxi Emperor and were granted this piece of land to build a church. It was damaged a lot during the war at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the North Church, you can see how well Chinese architecture and culture has been merged with this Gothic building.
The building itself has three-floors with a total of 11 steeples on the top. However, if you explore the courtyard, you can find the main gate of the church is guarded by a surprising pair of stone lions, as well as a pair of Chinese pavilions, which are the typical symbol of Chinese architecture.
There are also white marble fences within the yard, together with the statues of St John and St Paul. A daily mass is still held in the North Church and there are also activities during Christmastime.
St Michael’s Church
(Photo: China Radio International)
Location: No.13 on Dongjiaominxiang Street
Opening Hours: Call for more information
Contact: (010) 65135170
Located in Dongjiaominxiang, the longest hutong in Beijing, St Michael’s Church was built in 1901 and is the last Catholic Church ever built in the Chinese capital.
Once part of the French embassy during the late-Qing dynasty, it is highly reminiscent of a French church with Gothic architectural style.
Compared to other churches, St Michael’s has a shorter history and is slightly smaller. However, it has many details embedded in its decorations.
Due to it late construction time, St Michael’s is the only church that hasn't suffered from damage during fights and wars. It has two steep towers decorated with curved flowers and two Niches are on both sides of the front door, with the east one for St Paul and the west for St Peter.
In the centre of the two French front doors decorated with coloured glass is a graceful and detailed statue of St Michael.
There are 10 traditional Chinese single-storey houses to the east of the church, with arch-structured doors to enter. These houses are perfect examples of combining Chinese buildings with western architecture.
Kuan Street Christian Church
(Photo: Public domain)
Location: No.10 on Dongbanqiao Street
Opening Hours: 8:00-11:00 Tuesday-Friday & 19:00-20:30 Tuesday and Friday
Contact: (010) 84039432
Kuanjie Christian Church is no longer located on Kuanjie Street. It was moved to its current address in 2000, but kept its original name. Built by local Christian organizations back in the 1930s, the church was first used as an assembly.
The main building is a two storey white construction with two red wooden doors leading into the main hall. Located in a Hutong as well, it is quite small but still inspires peace and love as other churches.
Despite limited space for big activities, it holds regular masses and activities on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Church became famous when former US President George Bush spent some time with his family for mass here during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Haidian Christian Church
(Photo: www.hdchurch.org)
Location: No.9 Caihefang Street, Haidian District
Opening Hours: Check the website for more information
Contact: (010) 62572902
Haidian Church is a modern building that combines worship halls and office spaces together within one building. The whole construction uses 193 white pillars to enclose a Noah’s Ark-like space which represents the unity of the church.
The church building is 48 meters in height with three swinging bronze bells on top, which echo far over Zhongguancun on Sundays and during Christian festivals.
The second floor is the main hall, enclosing a space of three floors and boasts a capacity of 1,200 people. In the main hall, the platform was designed more like one inside a traditional Jewish church, which is quite different from other Christian churches. On the first floor is a deputy hall with a capacity of 500.
Located in Zhongguancun, the Silicon Valley in China, Haidian Christian Church always welcomes people from all over the world to enjoy the peace and love