Dongshan Church, full name Dongshan Christian Church, formerly Tung Shan Baptist Church, is the largest Christian church in Guangzhou, China.It was founded by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1908, and is now a Guangzhou Historical and Cultural Heritage Protection Unit.[1] [2] [3]
In 1870, foreign missionaries bought the Wuxianxi storefront in Guangzhou and changed it into boarding cottage, establishing a mixed school and gospel hall. By 1908, as the number of believers increased and the area was noisy and unsuitable for expansion, the old site was sold and a new Church was built at Sibeitongjin 9, Dongshan Temple. It was completed in 1909, and Dongshan Baptist Church was established on May 2 of the same year. [4]
After that, the number of church members increased significantly. The expansion project started in July 1923 and was completed on April 16, 1927. The church was expanded into a two-story building with a reinforced concrete structure. A grand dedication ceremony was held and the church was renamed Tung Shan Christian Baptist Church. The auditorium has 1,300 seats.
In 1949, overseas Chinese donated to establish a home for the aged, the Lord's Day School, and the takeover of the Mu Kuang School for the Blind, etc. Christians of the church increased to more than 2,000.
In 1960, when China mainland implemented "joint worship", the church merged with several other churches and was renamed Dongshan Christian Church. After the Cultural Revolution broke out in 1966, the church was forced to suspend its activities.
The church reopened on September 30, 1979. It was the first Christian church in Guangzhou to resume gatherings. It is still the largest Christian church in the city. In 1986, the Sunday school and auxiliary hall buildings were lent to Guangdong Union Theological Seminary, which has now been moved to the suburbs.
In 1987, the Guangzhou Christian Three-Self Patriotic Committee and Guangzhou Christian Council moved their offices to this property.
Dongshan Church, boasting the largest church in Guangzhou, is a two-story Gothic building made of white granite, covering an area of 3,300 square meters, with a main building area of more than 1,000 square meters. There are the chapel, Sunday school and other buildings and broad venues. And there is a circular hall with 1300 seats, which is the place for believers to pray and worship.[5]
The church was listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Guangzhou in July 1999.[6]
There are about 5,000 registered believers of the church, and about 4,500 people attending worship here every Sunday (of various sessions). In addition, the church also actively participates in social welfare undertakings.[2]
Opening Hours: 8:00-17:30 (every day) Sunday Morning 10:00 Morning Worship on Lord's Day (Chinese) Sunday Afternoon 12:00 Noon Worship on Lord's Day (Cantonese) Saturday Afternoon 12:30 Worship on Sabbath (Chinese & Cantonese)
Address: Sibeitongjin 9, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China.