Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Shanghai Holy Trinity Cathedral is the oldest existing Anglican cathedral of the Church of England in Shanghai, China. It is located at 219 Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District, in the city center, and is commonly known as the "Red Chapel." The church once served as the church for British expatriates under the Victoria Diocese of the Church of England, the cathedral of the Central China Diocese of the Anglican Church, the cathedral of the Episcopal Church Council of the Chung Hua Sheng Kung Hui, and is now affiliated with the headquarters of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches of China and the China Christian Council (the “Two Councils”).

Holy Trinity Church is situated at the southwest corner of Jiujiang Road and Jiangxi Middle Road. It is now owned by a religious institution and was formerly the grand auditorium of the Huangpu District Government. Construction began in the 27th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1847), and the old church was demolished in the 5th year of the Tongzhi reign (1866). The foundation of the new church was laid, and construction was completed in the 8th year of the Tongzhi reign (1869). The new church, built with red bricks, became commonly known as the Red Chapel. It covers an area of 3,500 square meters, with a building area of 2,240 square meters. The main hall is 17 meters high and has two stories. It was designed by the internationally renowned architect Sir Scott, modeled after 13th-century Gothic chapels in Western Europe. The structure uses a brick-and-wood frame, concentrating the weight and tensile forces of the building on stone columns and arch walls. The builders were the Fanhan Company.

The church is the oldest Christian chapel in Shanghai and a renowned Christian cathedral across the Far East. It has a rectangular floor plan, approximately 47 meters long and 18 meters wide. At the far end of the central nave is the altar, backed by a semi-circular apse. The window tops feature Gothic pointed arches. The interior uses scissors-truss wooden roof frames and features lofty pointed arches, with stone columns and slate roofing. The church’s stained glass windows are inlaid with colored images of the Virgin Mary. The church’s facilities, such as the pulpit, lectern, and baptismal font, are exquisitely carved, and the cornice is finished with closely spaced small circles.

In the 19th year of the Guangxu reign (1893), a bell tower with a Gothic spire was added to the north side of the church. The bell tower has four small spires at its corners and one large central spire, creating an elegant and striking architectural profile that reflects the characteristics of church design. The tower houses a set of tubular bells capable of playing hymn tunes. It is said that the foundation of the bell tower used 625 wooden piles, each 4.75 meters long, topped with a thick layer of granite. The bell tower was demolished in 1966.

The church was the first established by the Church of England in Shanghai. After World War I, a large pipe organ with electric bellows was installed in the church, attracting many Westerners in Shanghai to hold services and weddings there. During the Pacific War in 1941 (the 30th year of the Republic of China), Japanese forces occupied the concession, and the church was temporarily used as a detention camp for foreigners, leading to years of neglect. Major renovations were carried out in 1955 to restore it to its original condition. After the implementation of joint worship services in 1958, Anglican rites continued to be used until 1966. The lawn on the east side of the church has since been converted into a street garden.

On October 7, 2019, Holy Trinity Church was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: 219 Jiujiang Road, Shanghai (near Hankou Road)

Type: Church

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units