Zion Chapel

Zion Chapel

Zion Chapel is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

Zion Chapel

Located at 1 Kole Road, within the Western Cemetery Chapel, to the north of Shanghai Zoo and west of the intersection of Hami Road and Jianhe Road. Built in 1925, it features a modern design with a Byzantine-style dome and Gothic windows and doors, reflecting the personal design preferences and regional sentiments of architect Ladislav Hudec. The floor plan is a Greek cross, with both the ground floor and second floor paved in colored granite. Four corner columns support pendentives and the dome, showcasing Byzantine architectural characteristics. The base of the dome is lined with a tight row of pointed arch windows, which cast refracted light inside, giving the large dome a light, floating appearance. The reinforced concrete dome is clad in copper sheeting, which has oxidized over time to a distinctive verdigris green.

Zion Cemetery was initiated by church members Ma Xiangbo, Zhu Kongjia, Wang Bao??, Pan Shiyi, He Lizhong, and others, with Pan Shiyi serving as the architect. Covering an area of about 75 acres, the cemetery complex includes a chapel, bell tower, communal burial hall, memorial platform, Stations of the Cross, and pine and cypress trees. Accessible via a cemetery bridge over the Xinjing River from Hami Road, the entrance gate bears calligraphy by Ma Xiangbo reading “Gate of Heaven” and “Zion Cemetery.”

In 1968, around 4,000 square meters were repurposed as classrooms for Xinqing Middle School, and in 1974, the remaining parts were converted into a material warehouse for the Shanghai Zoo breeding farm. Starting in the summer of 2007, the Shanghai Catholic Diocese undertook formal restoration work, and religious activities resumed in the spring of 2008. Hungary, influenced by the Eastern cultural elements brought by the Magyars after their conquest, boasts many buildings in the Byzantine style. At the same time, Hungary is also one of the centers of European Gothic art and early Romantic art. In 2014, it was designated as a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.