"People in China are enjoying much better religious freedom than
before and over 70 percent of those attending services at the
Beijing Haidian Christian Church are young people," says Pastor Wu
Weiqing of the newly-built church.
The all-white building resembles an exhibition studio rather
than a religious institution, with its long white beams encircling
the structure. A tall white cross stands in the covered stairway to
the entrance to the church, while a sign on top states "Christian
Church". Off to the side is a tall bell tower, also white.
Beijing Haidian Christian Church was originally built in 1933
but the number of attendees increased so dramatically that it was
knocked down and a new church was erected. It opened on May 31 of
this year in Zhongguancun, also known as China's Silicon
Valley.
It's also close to two of China's top universities, Tsinghua
University and Peking University. Sina.com, one of the grand
commercial buildings for China's leading IT companies, is also
situated nearby. Wu explained that as result, most of the
churchgoers are young people.
An open Bible
Church visitors greatly appreciate the design of the church. A
middle-aged migrant worker surnamed Zhao said that the church
looked beautiful. He turned to Christianity in 1997 when he was
working as a farmer in his hometown in north China's Hebei Province. Now he works in a furniture
factory in suburban Beijing and needs to ask for a leave on
weekends to go to the church. "It normally takes me two hours to
come here by bus, but I go to other churches too," commented the
gray haired, thin-faced Zhao.
But not everyone admires the new church; some think that the
original one should have remained standing.
Liu Yang, an expert in church studies from Yuanmingyuan (Old
Summer Palace) Administration, noted, "It was a pity to see the old
church demolished. With a history of 70 years, the old church
should have been preserved and protected as a relic. "
But in an exclusive interview with China Daily Website,
Wu explained that the old church was deteriorating amidst the
dirty, noisy street. The church was becoming too dangerous to hold
services inside. He added that the original church was too small to
hold the increasing number of Christians attending services
there.
"The old church didn't suit the development and the surrounding
commercial buildings," he explained. "The style of old church was
neither baroque nor Roman, and it wasn't like a church," added
Wu.
Church administrators welcomed architectural firms to submit
designs for the new church.?The German company GMP
International came up with the all-white structure. Wu said the
church made clear its interior and exterior requirements, including
ways to cut operating costs.
"I am 150 percent satisfied with the new church's design, and
the placement of cross, bell tower and the appearance are beyond my
expectations," said Wu with a smile. "The church appears like an
open Bible and the ascending stairs make people feel the sense of
being a Christian."
When asked about building costs, Wu said that the new structure
cost the church nothing, but that 5 million Yuan was spent on
interior decoration. According to Wu rooms in the church are rented
out, and the money covers water, heat and electricity bills.
Helga Reimund, an architect with GMP International, said in an
email interview, "The new church distinguishes it from the
surrounding commercial buildings. At the same time it creates
exiting spaces to the surrounding buildings." She added, "The
facade columns give the church a homogeneous shell allowing natural
lighting of the interior."
A variety of materials were used to build the church, including
cherry wood paneling, visible concrete beams with sound absorbing
suspended panels, and concrete columns containing thermal
insulation and plaster for the facade.
A harmonious society
Wu, who is also the deputy chairman of the Beijing Christian
Council and member of Beijing People's Congress, has led this
church since 2001. At the opening ceremony of the church in late
May, he said, "The new church provides the new start point for us
to return Jesus' love to the people and contribute to the efforts
of building a harmonious society."
Besides managing the church, Wu has a busy schedule everyday,
especially on Sundays. "We have English services on Sunday, and
some 50 foreigners usually come to the church." In total over 4,000
people attend weekend services.
"More people have come to believe in Christianity due to China's
growing involvement into world community and other social,
economical or spiritual reasons," remarked Wu.
An undergraduate student from Tsinghua University, a relatively
new churchgoer, took her father to the church for the first time.
"I heard the story of Paul today, and it was beneficial," said the
father, surnamed Guo. His daughter said that she got to know
Christianity through some groups interested in the Bible on campus.
"It helps me to reflect on the purpose of life," she said.
(China Daily July 20, 2007)
