“Hall of the Only Respected.” Does this sound like a place of profound reverence? This is the Xinjing Church, a historical landmark in Shanghai with a captivating story. Let’s delve into its past.
The Xinjing Church was Shanghai’s first Catholic church. It was built in 1640 during the Ming Dynasty. It is located in the Old City, Huangpu District, on the grounds of the Fuyou Road No.1 Elementary School. Today, it stands as one of Shanghai’s oldest buildings.
Interestingly, the Xinjing Church wasn’t always a church. Its story involves transformations. It has been a private residence, a Catholic church, a Taoist temple, and an elementary school.
The story begins in 1553. Pan Yunduan, a Shanghai native and governor of Sichuan, built a private residence for his father, Pan En. He called it the Ever-Spring Hall. Pan Yunduan also built the Yu Garden in the same complex.
As the Pan family declined, they sold the hall to the Fan family. In 1640, Martina Pan, granddaughter of Xu Guangqi, purchased the building. Xu Guangqi was an influential Shanghai Catholic convert. She bought it for Fr. Francesco Brancati, an Italian Jesuit missionary. The building then became a church and was renamed Jingyi Church. In English, it was known as The Church of the Savior.
Back then, men and women attended mass separately. Women worshipped at the Church of Our Lady near Xujiazui. The Xinjing Church expanded with a side hall for astronomical observations. It became a center for Catholicism in Shanghai.
However, religious turmoil struck in 1665. Yang Guangxian’s attacks on Christianity led to a ban. Fr. Brancati left Shanghai after 28 years. The building then became an office for a Coastal Defense official, Dong Caogao.
The Jesuits returned in 1671 when the ban was lifted. But, in 1724, the Yongzheng Emperor banned Catholicism again. In 1731, the government confiscated the church. It was converted into a Taoist temple dedicated to Guan Yu, the god of war.
Christianity was legalized again in 1844 after the Opium War. An imperial edict ordered the return of confiscated church lands, except those turned into temples. In 1860, under the Treaty of Tianjin demands, the Xinjing Church was finally returned to the Catholic Church. The war god temple moved to another location. A Catholic school named St. Berchmans school replaced the Shenjiang Academy.
In the 1930s, a primary school was established on the site. By 1938, the church had around 600 parishioners. However, religious activities ceased in 1950 after the Communist Revolution. The church school became Wutong Road Primary School in 1953. The main church hall served as a gym.
The Xinjing Church was listed as a Cultural Heritage site in Shanghai in 1959. This status was removed in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. It was restored on May 18, 1981. Until the late 1990s, it was a primary school gymnasium. Today, it stands unused and closed to visitors.
The Xinjing Church represents resilience and transformation. From a private residence to a religious center and school, it has witnessed Shanghai’s changing times. Its story reminds us of the complex interplay of religion, politics, and culture in Chinese history.