| Ganghwa Anglican Church | |
| Country: | South Korea |
| Address: | 10, Gwancheong-gil 27beon-gil, Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea |
Ganghwa Anglican Cathedral is a historic cathedral of the Anglican Church's Diocese of Seoul, located in, Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea.[1] It opened in November, 1900.[2]
It was the first church to be established in Ganghwa, as well as the first Anglican church in the peninsula. The cathedral is notable for its use of Korean hanok architecture.
The church has its origins around 1889, when the Anglican Church of Korea ordained its first bishop Charles John Corfe. At the time, Christianity was virtually unknown in the peninsula. This church was the first to be established in Ganghwa, as well as the first Anglican church in the peninsula.
Wood was transported via the Yalu River for its construction. A palace carpenter who worked on the construction of the royal palace in Seoul Gyeongbokgung managed the construction of the building.
The composition of the church combines elements of both Eastern and Western architecture, with its layout particularly resembling Buddhist temples. Similar to Buddhist temples, it has a number of gates that are entered in sequence. The main cathedral building is a wooden building built in a nearly completely Korean style, with little Western ornamentation. It still provides facilities to function as a church building, however.