Former Site of the Black Bamboo Forest Church

Former Site of the Black Bamboo Forest Church

The former site of the Black Bamboo Forest Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin.

Original Black Bamboo Forest Church

Era: 1872

Address: No. 16 Yingkou Road, Heping District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Sites and Representative Buildings

Originally named "St. Louis Church." In 1870, out of hatred for French missionaries, the people of Tianjin burned down the Wanghailou Church located at the Sancha River estuary. In 1872, the French Catholic Church used indemnity payments from the Qing government to build this church. As it was situated in the Black Bamboo Forest area of the French Concession, it was also called the "Black Bamboo Forest Church."

The building is bordered by Zhang Zizhong Road to the east, Yingkou Road to the south, Jiefang Road to the west, and Chengde Road to the north. It has a construction area of 383 square meters, with a brick-and-wood structure. The exterior façade of the church is supported by four pillars, with an arched entrance in the middle, featuring a triangular lintel above. The midsection is adorned with a band of finely crafted brick carvings showing small overhanging floral decorations. Small arched side doors are located on both sides of the first floor. The top decoration was damaged in an earthquake and has been replaced with a simple roof. One end of the interior houses the altar, while the other end has a second-floor balcony used by the choir. With a history of over 130 years, the Black Bamboo Forest Church stands as a historical testament to imperialist religious infiltration and cultural aggression in China, while also recording the history of Tianjin’s resistance against imperialism. The building is now in a rather dilapidated state.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Tianjin Cultural Relic Protection Units