“In the Yellow Crane Tower, the jade flute is being played and the plum blossoms fall in Jiangcheng in May.” The poem was written by the famous Chinese poet Li Bai about the renowned Tower in Wuhan. The history of archaeological discoveries in Wuhan can be traced back to the early and middle Neolithic Age between 8000-6000 years ago.
Wuhan has outstanding historical buildings, mainly composed of financial, religious, diplomatic, residential, industrial, and commercial buildings in the period from 1861 to the 1950s when Hankou was opened as a treaty port. It integrates the classical romanticism of Western architecture and the implicit elegance of national architecture, which is comprised of Christianity, including excellent architectural relics of Catholicism, Protestantism, and the Orthodox Church, such as church buildings, hospital buildings, Christian organizations, etc.
In mid-April 2021, I visited some churches in Hubei Province, and Wuhan was the first stop. The ten Christian buildings and historical relics will be introduced one by one. Some of them are real cultural relics, which no longer belong to any church, nor are meetings or other religious activities being held there, while some are still being used by Christian churches or Christian organizations and medical charities. Part 1, which can be read here, depicts five Christian cultural relics and churches. Below is part 2.
6. The Swedish parish relic
The former site of the Swedish parish, also located in Tanhualin, Wuchang District, was built in 1890 at No. 92-108. It was not an independent building, but a “complex” comprising a consulate, a Catholic building, and a courtyard.
The Swedish parish was a missionary base built in Wuhan by the Swedish Missionary Society in 1890. The society built the Truth Lutheran Church, the dean’s building, and the Truth Middle School. Apart from the church building, other buildings including the old Bishop’s building, the consulate and clergy rooms, and the old buildings of truth middle school, were preserved. Among them, the chief pastor’s building has the most Nordic style large slope roof, a two-story brick and wood structure. The two floors are circular arcades, the external wall is made of artificial mahogany powder, and the four slope roofs are covered with red flat tiles. I came here just in time to meet the buildings undergoing maintenance, the other buildings in the compound were also well preserved.
The Swedish Missionary Society belonged to Nordic Lutheranism. In 1890, the society’s Pastor John Skld and four other missionaries arrived in Hualin County and began their missionary activities in Hubei. After several years of development, the construction of large garden houses in Tanhualin, the formation of a certain architectural scale, it seems that the body is outside the domain; a large number of garden houses have been built in the middle of Tanhualin, forming a certain architectural scale, which seems to be located outside the territory.
After the establishment of the central assembly of the Swedish Missionary Society in Wuchang, the organization sent missionary J. Sommar Strom to China in 1936 to preside over the church and appointed him as the consul of the Swedish Consulate in Wuhan. In March 1949, the society joined the Church of Christ in China. In 1952, the Swedish Consulate closed, Strom and all the foreign personnel of the former Swedish Association left Wuhan.
7. The former site of Wuhan YMCA
The Wuhan YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) is also known as the former site of the US Navy YMCA. Located in Lihuangpi Road, Jiangan District, Wuhan city, it was built in 1913.
When I came here with my colleagues, I saw a four-story brick and wood structure building which was particularly spectacular on this road. The prominent position of the building in the center was above the former site of the American Navy YMCA in Han Kou.
According to the staff present, this was not a Christian church building. Rather, it was a venue for the activities of the US Navy, but the kind of activities held there is unknown.
The building covers an area of 1546.99 square meters and has a Baroque architectural style. The whole building is arranged symmetrically on both sides with the central part as the axis. The facade is divided into three longitudinal sections. The main entrance is located in the center and reinforced by two-legged ionic pillars.
The site is the fifth batch of Hubei provincial cultural relics protection units announced by the people’s Government of Hubei Province on March 27, 2008. The courtyard is open for visitors, but the interior is restricted for visit, it can only be looked at and photographed from outside. It is not clear which organ or organization it belongs to now, but looking at the door plate, it should be the office building of Wuhan YMCA.
8. The Hankou Orthodox Church
The Hankou Orthodox Church is located at No. 48 Poyang street, Hankou. The church building is exquisite and “miniature”. Built in 1876, it was originally known as Alexander Nevsky Church. It is the only orthodox church built by Russian expatriates in Hankou and is unique to date.
Covering an area of about 220 square meters, the church is a Russian church with a Byzantine architectural style and a cross layout.
The church adopts a centralized system and the scale is not very large. It is a milky white building. The wall of the ground floor is composed of multi-directional arches, the outer wall has pilasters and arches, and the lines and corners are exquisitely carved. For a long time, people have highly evaluated the design of this building. Some people praised it, saying “the exterior contour is full of changes, the wall is flowing and lively, which is rare”.
The reason why this church was built in Wuhan is closely related to the Sino-Russian Wanli tea ceremony and tea leaves in those days. It is said that in 1898, Nicholas II, the Russian crown prince and later the last Czar Nicholas II, visited Hankou. In addition to hosting the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Xintai brick tea factory, he specially visited the Orthodox Church to listen to scriptures and worship. The gospel was not widely preached in Hankou by the Russian Orthodox, believers were not groomed, and it was specifically for the Russians, so there were few believers. In 1954, most of the Russians left, leaving only 38 believers. After 1958, the church gradually ceased to function.
Just like other Orthodox churches, the church gate is closed and visitors can only look through the fence. Now the hall has become the “Wuhan Sino Russian cultural exchange hall”. It is said that it is also a special place for citizens to hold wedding activities.
9. The Hankou Glory Christian Church
Glory Christian Church was built in 1931. In the early days, the name of the church was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Griffith John, a British missionary, and the 70th anniversary of his coming to China to preach. Therefore, it was named “Gefei Church” and later renamed the Glory Christian Church.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Wuhan was occupied by the Japanese, and the church became a place to store the ashes of the dead Japanese and was seriously damaged. After the war, it was restored and worship activities resumed. In 1951, the church was officially renamed the Glory Christian Church, adopting the famous Biblical phrase “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Religious activities were suspended during the Cultural Revolution and normal religious activities resumed in 1980.
The church is of Gothic architectural style with a small size. The red brick wall is part of a three-story brick and wood structure. The ground floor is an inner-corridor styled office building. The second floor is a chapel hall with a large arched altar, which can accommodate more than 1000 people at the same time. The third floor is a small open viewing platform.
The bell tower on the facade of the Glory Christian Church is high, and the two slopes of red tiles are divided by the cross. The whole building looks simple and grand. The church faces the street, so the small square in the courtyard is not big. The cornerstone at the foot of the right wall is well preserved and can be seen.
As we can see from the Glory Church’s “Sunday weekly”, we can understand that before the pandemic, the church had activities every day from Sunday to Saturday. But at present, due to the need for epidemic prevention and control, meetings are only held on Sundays. The Glory Church is one of the “Excellent historical buildings in Wuhan”.
10. The Shanghai Road Catholic Church
The church is located at No.16 Shanghai Road in Hankou, opposite another excellent historical building in Wuhan “Station No.8”. It was built in 1875 and completed in 1876 for 120,000 francs.
The church is called St. Joseph’s Church in Catholicism because it was dedicated to Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. The church and the Bishop’s office are at the front yard of the parish, and the Wuhan nun’s convent is in the back yard, and now there is a residential area in the Catholic church.
The Catholic Church at Shanghai Road is also affiliated with the Wuhan Catholic Church. In 1866, an Italian missionary, Eustachio Vito Modesto Zanoli, a member of an Italian Franciscan Order (O.F.M. – Ordo Fratrum Minorum), served as the bishop of the Catholic pastoral district of Hubei Province from 1862 to 1870, and the bishop of the Catholic pastoral district of Eastern Hubei Province from 1870 to 1883. He purchased 6,044 square meters of land from the British Concession Ministry of Industry and commissioned another Italian priest, Yu Zuobin, to build the church in Roman basilica style.
The plane layout of the church is Latin cross-shaped, with a two-story brick and wood structure. The overall length is 40 meters, the width is 26 meters and the middle main hall of the three arcades in the church is 14 meters wide. There are two round pagoda-shaped bell towers on the left and right sides at the back, and the cross at the top of the hall is 22 meters high. With a building area of 1024 square meters and 5 altars, it can accommodate more than 1000 people to celebrate mass at the same time.
In the early 20th century, the activity center of the Eastern Hubei Catholic Diocese was moved from Wuchang to Hankou. When the diocese was divided in 1923, it became the Hankou Cathedral. At present, it is the Educational Affairs Center of the Wuhan Catholic Church.
(To ensure the accuracy of historical facts, some materials in this paper are quoted from “Wuhan Excellent Historical Buildings Website.”)
– Translated by Nonye Nancy
六、瑞典教区遗址
原名瑞典教区旧址，同样是在位于武昌区昙华林，在92-108号，建于1890年，这里并不是独立的建筑，而是一个“建筑群”：包括领事馆和天主教的楼宇，还有院落。
瑞典教区是基督教瑞典行道会于1890年开始在武汉建设的传教基地。行道会在此陆续修建了基督教真理堂、主任牧师楼、真理中学等。除了教堂，现在仍然保存着主教楼、领事馆和神职人员用房、真理中学老斋舍。其中主任牧师楼有着最具北欧风格的大坡度屋顶，为两层砖木结构，两层均为圆拱券廊，外墙为假麻石粉面，四面坡顶覆盖红平瓦。笔者来到这里正逢维修，大院落的其它建筑也是保存完好。
瑞典行道会属北欧信义宗。1890年，该会的传教牧师韩宗盛等4人抵达昙华林，开始在湖北传教活动。经过几年发展，在昙华林中段兴建大片花园洋房，形成一定的建筑规模，看起来好像是身置域外。
瑞典行道会华中总会在武昌设立后，1936年行道会派传教士夏定川来汉主持教会，同时委任他为瑞典驻武汉领事馆领事。1949年3月，瑞典行道会加入中华基督教会。1952年瑞典领事馆闭馆，夏定川与原瑞典行道会全体外籍人员离开武汉。
七、武汉基督教青年会旧址
武汉基督教青年会（WUHAN YMCA）也称为美国海军青年会旧址。位于武汉市江岸区黎黄陂路。建于1913年。
笔者和同工来到这里，看到一幢在这条路上格外壮观的四层砖木结构楼房，楼房在正中央显赫位置是英文Above the former site of the American Navy YMCA in Han Kou。
据在场的工作人员介绍，其实这里不是基督教教堂，也就是美国海军的一个活动场所，是什么样的活动场所具体不详。
这幢楼建筑面积1546.99平方米。属巴洛克式建筑风格。整座建筑以中部为轴，两侧对称布置。正立面为纵向三段式划分。主入口居于正中，并用双肢爱奥尼克柱加以强化。
该旧址是湖北省人民政府2008年3月27日公布的第五批湖北省文物保护单位，可以进入院内参观，但是不能进入楼内，在外面可参观、拍照。现在究竟属于什么机关或机构不详，看门牌应该是武汉基督教青年会的办公楼。
八、汉口东正教堂
汉口东正教堂坐落在汉口鄱阳街48号。这座教堂也属于那种精致而“迷你”的建筑，始建于1876年，原名阿列克桑德聂夫堂，是俄国侨民在汉口兴建的唯一的一座东正教教堂，迄今为止也是独一无二的。
教堂占地面积约220平方米，平面呈十字形布局，为拜占廷式建筑风格的俄罗斯教堂。
教堂采取集中型制，规模不是很大，乳白色的建筑，底层墙面由多向拱券组成，外墙有壁柱、拱券，线角雕刻精美。长期以来，人们从设计的角度对这座建筑给予很高的评价，有人夸赞其“外轮廓富有变化，墙面飘逸流动，活泼舒展，实属难得”。
这座教堂之所以建造在武汉，与当年中俄万里茶道和茶叶有着密不可分的关系。据说，1898年，俄皇太子尼古拉二世即后来的末代沙皇尼古拉二世访汉，除主持新泰砖茶厂25周年庆典外，特意莅临东正教堂，听经和做礼拜。俄东正教在汉不开门布道，不发展信徒，专为俄裔服务，所以信徒很少。1954年，在汉俄侨大多离境，信徒只剩下38人。1958年后，教堂渐渐停止活动。
这里好像如同其它的东正教堂一样，大门是关闭的，来访者只能是隔着围栏观看。现在该堂已成为“武汉中俄文化交流馆”，据说这里还是专门为市民举办婚礼活动的一个场所。
九、汉口基督教新教荣光堂
该堂建于1931年，教堂在初期的名称为纪念英国传教士杨格非诞辰100周年和来汉传道70周年，故命为“格非堂”，后改名为荣光堂。
在抗战时期，武汉沦陷，教堂被日军占用成为存放死亡日人骨灰的场所，损坏严重。战后经修复，恢复礼拜。1951年该堂采用圣经中“在天上有和平，在至高之处有荣光“的名句正式改名为荣光堂。“文革”期间停止宗教活动。1980年恢复正常的宗教活动。
该堂系哥特式建筑风格，体量不大，红砖清水墙为三层砖木结构，底层为中廊式办公用房，二层是礼拜大厅，设有坚券穹隆形大祭坛一座，可同时容纳1000多人做礼拜，三层则为开放式的小型观礼台。
荣光堂正立面钟楼高耸，红瓦两坡以十字架中分，整个建筑显得朴实大方，教堂由于临街，所以院内的小广场面积不大。其右墙脚的奠基石，至今保存完好，可以看到。
通过荣光堂的《主日周刊》我们可以得知，在疫情之前该堂从礼拜日到礼拜六每天都有活动。但是目前由于疫情防控需要，只有在礼拜日才有聚会。荣光堂现为“武汉市优秀历史建筑”之一。
十、汉口上海路天主教堂
教堂位于汉口上海路16号，与武汉另外一座优秀历史建筑“车站8号”建筑对面，始建于1875年，1876年建成，耗资12万法郎。
因本堂奉耶稣的义父约瑟为主保，所以它在天主教内被称为圣约瑟堂。堂区前院为教堂和主教公署，后院为武汉修女院，现在有一个天主教房产处。
上海路天主堂也是隶属于武汉天主教“一会一团”。1866年，意大利传教士明位笃主教（Eustachio Vito Modesto Zanoli O.F.M.），意大利方济会Ordo Fratrum Minorum会士，1862-1870年任天主教湖北代牧区主教，1870-1883年任天主教鄂东代牧区主教）从英租界工部局购地皮6044平方米，委托另一意大利教士余作宾修建教堂，系罗马巴西利卡式建筑风格。
教堂平面布局为拉丁十字形，两层砖木结构，整体长40米，宽为26米，堂内三拱廊的中间正厅宽14米。后侧左右各有圆形塔式钟楼一座，堂顶十字架处高22米。建筑面积1024平方米，内设祭台5座，可同时容纳1000多人做弥撒。
20世纪初，天主教鄂东教区活动中心由武昌移至汉口。1923年划分教区时，该堂成为汉口主教座堂。现为武汉市天主教会教务活动中心。
（为确保史实的准确性，文中的部分资料引自于《武汉市优秀历史建筑网》）
https://m.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/56129
武汉的十处基督教优秀历史建筑（下）
“In the Yellow Crane Tower, the jade flute is being played and the plum blossoms fall in Jiangcheng in May.” The poem was written by the famous Chinese poet Li Bai about the renowned Tower in Wuhan. The history of archaeological discoveries in Wuhan can be traced back to the early and middle Neolithic Age between 8000-6000 years ago.
Wuhan has outstanding historical buildings, mainly composed of financial, religious, diplomatic, residential, industrial, and commercial buildings in the period from 1861 to the 1950s when Hankou was opened as a treaty port. It integrates the classical romanticism of Western architecture and the implicit elegance of national architecture, which is comprised of Christianity, including excellent architectural relics of Catholicism, Protestantism, and the Orthodox Church, such as church buildings, hospital buildings, Christian organizations, etc.
In mid-April 2021, I visited some churches in Hubei Province, and Wuhan was the first stop. The ten Christian buildings and historical relics will be introduced one by one. Some of them are real cultural relics, which no longer belong to any church, nor are meetings or other religious activities being held there, while some are still being used by Christian churches or Christian organizations and medical charities. Part 1, which can be read here, depicts five Christian cultural relics and churches. Below is part 2.
6. The Swedish parish relic
The former site of the Swedish parish, also located in Tanhualin, Wuchang District, was built in 1890 at No. 92-108. It was not an independent building, but a “complex” comprising a consulate, a Catholic building, and a courtyard.
The Swedish parish was a missionary base built in Wuhan by the Swedish Missionary Society in 1890. The society built the Truth Lutheran Church, the dean’s building, and the Truth Middle School. Apart from the church building, other buildings including the old Bishop’s building, the consulate and clergy rooms, and the old buildings of truth middle school, were preserved. Among them, the chief pastor’s building has the most Nordic style large slope roof, a two-story brick and wood structure. The two floors are circular arcades, the external wall is made of artificial mahogany powder, and the four slope roofs are covered with red flat tiles. I came here just in time to meet the buildings undergoing maintenance, the other buildings in the compound were also well preserved.
The Swedish Missionary Society belonged to Nordic Lutheranism. In 1890, the society’s Pastor John Skld and four other missionaries arrived in Hualin County and began their missionary activities in Hubei. After several years of development, the construction of large garden houses in Tanhualin, the formation of a certain architectural scale, it seems that the body is outside the domain; a large number of garden houses have been built in the middle of Tanhualin, forming a certain architectural scale, which seems to be located outside the territory.
After the establishment of the central assembly of the Swedish Missionary Society in Wuchang, the organization sent missionary J. Sommar Strom to China in 1936 to preside over the church and appointed him as the consul of the Swedish Consulate in Wuhan. In March 1949, the society joined the Church of Christ in China. In 1952, the Swedish Consulate closed, Strom and all the foreign personnel of the former Swedish Association left Wuhan.
7. The former site of Wuhan YMCA
The Wuhan YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) is also known as the former site of the US Navy YMCA. Located in Lihuangpi Road, Jiangan District, Wuhan city, it was built in 1913.
When I came here with my colleagues, I saw a four-story brick and wood structure building which was particularly spectacular on this road. The prominent position of the building in the center was above the former site of the American Navy YMCA in Han Kou.
According to the staff present, this was not a Christian church building. Rather, it was a venue for the activities of the US Navy, but the kind of activities held there is unknown.
The building covers an area of 1546.99 square meters and has a Baroque architectural style. The whole building is arranged symmetrically on both sides with the central part as the axis. The facade is divided into three longitudinal sections. The main entrance is located in the center and reinforced by two-legged ionic pillars.
The site is the fifth batch of Hubei provincial cultural relics protection units announced by the people’s Government of Hubei Province on March 27, 2008. The courtyard is open for visitors, but the interior is restricted for visit, it can only be looked at and photographed from outside. It is not clear which organ or organization it belongs to now, but looking at the door plate, it should be the office building of Wuhan YMCA.
8. The Hankou Orthodox Church
The Hankou Orthodox Church is located at No. 48 Poyang street, Hankou. The church building is exquisite and “miniature”. Built in 1876, it was originally known as Alexander Nevsky Church. It is the only orthodox church built by Russian expatriates in Hankou and is unique to date.
Covering an area of about 220 square meters, the church is a Russian church with a Byzantine architectural style and a cross layout.
The church adopts a centralized system and the scale is not very large. It is a milky white building. The wall of the ground floor is composed of multi-directional arches, the outer wall has pilasters and arches, and the lines and corners are exquisitely carved. For a long time, people have highly evaluated the design of this building. Some people praised it, saying “the exterior contour is full of changes, the wall is flowing and lively, which is rare”.
The reason why this church was built in Wuhan is closely related to the Sino-Russian Wanli tea ceremony and tea leaves in those days. It is said that in 1898, Nicholas II, the Russian crown prince and later the last Czar Nicholas II, visited Hankou. In addition to hosting the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Xintai brick tea factory, he specially visited the Orthodox Church to listen to scriptures and worship. The gospel was not widely preached in Hankou by the Russian Orthodox, believers were not groomed, and it was specifically for the Russians, so there were few believers. In 1954, most of the Russians left, leaving only 38 believers. After 1958, the church gradually ceased to function.
Just like other Orthodox churches, the church gate is closed and visitors can only look through the fence. Now the hall has become the “Wuhan Sino Russian cultural exchange hall”. It is said that it is also a special place for citizens to hold wedding activities.
9. The Hankou Glory Christian Church
Glory Christian Church was built in 1931. In the early days, the name of the church was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Griffith John, a British missionary, and the 70th anniversary of his coming to China to preach. Therefore, it was named “Gefei Church” and later renamed the Glory Christian Church.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Wuhan was occupied by the Japanese, and the church became a place to store the ashes of the dead Japanese and was seriously damaged. After the war, it was restored and worship activities resumed. In 1951, the church was officially renamed the Glory Christian Church, adopting the famous Biblical phrase “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Religious activities were suspended during the Cultural Revolution and normal religious activities resumed in 1980.
The church is of Gothic architectural style with a small size. The red brick wall is part of a three-story brick and wood structure. The ground floor is an inner-corridor styled office building. The second floor is a chapel hall with a large arched altar, which can accommodate more than 1000 people at the same time. The third floor is a small open viewing platform.
The bell tower on the facade of the Glory Christian Church is high, and the two slopes of red tiles are divided by the cross. The whole building looks simple and grand. The church faces the street, so the small square in the courtyard is not big. The cornerstone at the foot of the right wall is well preserved and can be seen.
As we can see from the Glory Church’s “Sunday weekly”, we can understand that before the pandemic, the church had activities every day from Sunday to Saturday. But at present, due to the need for epidemic prevention and control, meetings are only held on Sundays. The Glory Church is one of the “Excellent historical buildings in Wuhan”.
10. The Shanghai Road Catholic Church
The church is located at No.16 Shanghai Road in Hankou, opposite another excellent historical building in Wuhan “Station No.8”. It was built in 1875 and completed in 1876 for 120,000 francs.
The church is called St. Joseph’s Church in Catholicism because it was dedicated to Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. The church and the Bishop’s office are at the front yard of the parish, and the Wuhan nun’s convent is in the back yard, and now there is a residential area in the Catholic church.
The Catholic Church at Shanghai Road is also affiliated with the Wuhan Catholic Church. In 1866, an Italian missionary, Eustachio Vito Modesto Zanoli, a member of an Italian Franciscan Order (O.F.M. – Ordo Fratrum Minorum), served as the bishop of the Catholic pastoral district of Hubei Province from 1862 to 1870, and the bishop of the Catholic pastoral district of Eastern Hubei Province from 1870 to 1883. He purchased 6,044 square meters of land from the British Concession Ministry of Industry and commissioned another Italian priest, Yu Zuobin, to build the church in Roman basilica style.
The plane layout of the church is Latin cross-shaped, with a two-story brick and wood structure. The overall length is 40 meters, the width is 26 meters and the middle main hall of the three arcades in the church is 14 meters wide. There are two round pagoda-shaped bell towers on the left and right sides at the back, and the cross at the top of the hall is 22 meters high. With a building area of 1024 square meters and 5 altars, it can accommodate more than 1000 people to celebrate mass at the same time.
In the early 20th century, the activity center of the Eastern Hubei Catholic Diocese was moved from Wuchang to Hankou. When the diocese was divided in 1923, it became the Hankou Cathedral. At present, it is the Educational Affairs Center of the Wuhan Catholic Church.
(To ensure the accuracy of historical facts, some materials in this paper are quoted from “Wuhan Excellent Historical Buildings Website.”)
– Translated by Nonye Nancy
Ten Historic Christian Buildings in Wuhan (Part II)
