Suzhou Christian Gospel Church

Suzhou Christian Gospel Church

Suzhou Christian Gospel Church is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Suzhou Christian Gospel Church is located at No. 45 Dahe South Street, Yongqiao District, Suzhou City.

Originally built by missionaries sent by the American Presbyterian Church in the late Qing Dynasty, it is one of the most well-preserved complexes of Christian church architecture in northern Anhui, blending Chinese and Western styles. Suzhou Christian Gospel Church was where the American female writer Pearl S. Buck initially lived during her time in Suzhou from 1917 to 1922. Her novel "The Good Earth" depicts scenes of the local people of Suzhou at that time.

The overall structure of the Gospel Church faces south and is situated on a north-south axis. It stretches 70 meters from east to west and 77 meters from north to south, covering an area of 5,390 square meters. It consists of a main gate hall, men’s parlor, women’s parlor, main worship hall, smaller worship hall, pastor’s courtyard, bell tower, and more. The main worship hall features a compact structure and rational layout. At the center of the church courtyard is the main gate hall, flanked by drum-shaped stone pillars and carved patterned stone portraits. On both the east and west sides of the gate are five-room sections for men’s and women’s parlors respectively, featuring floor-to-ceiling wooden doors and windows. These sections are classic in style, exquisitely crafted, with painted beams and ornate decorations, giving them a stately appearance. The total construction area is 165 square meters.

Upon entering, the main worship hall lies at the center of the church courtyard. It is a classical-style temple building and serves as the central structure of the Gospel Church. It is 34 meters long (nine bays from north to south) and 17 meters wide (five bays from east to west), with a construction area of 578 square meters. The roof features a double-eave hip-and-gable design covered with glazed tiles, presenting a resplendent and magnificent sight. Thirty vertical beams, each about 10 meters high, are embedded in the surrounding brick walls to support the roof. Inside, there are also 14 thick round wooden pillars, which hold up the beams forming the roof truss. The four corners of the hall have upturned eaves adorned with decorative ridge beasts. All around the brick walls are windows and doors, ensuring good natural lighting. There is also a five-room basement at the southern end of the hall. The roof trusses inside the hall feature many exquisitely carved patterns and colorful paintings, rich in content and vibrant in color. The biblical stories depicted include lifelike figures and vivid narratives, holding certain artistic value.

The smaller worship hall is located to the west of the Gospel Church, measuring 21 meters in length and 8.5 meters in width, with an area of 178.5 square meters. It has grey brick walls and a glazed tile roof. The interior is fitted with a ceiling decorated with images of white cranes soaring in the sky, giving it a majestic and solemn feel. To the north and south of the smaller worship hall are the bell tower and the pastor’s courtyard respectively. The bell tower is distinctly Chinese in style, designed as a three-story hexagonal pagoda covered with glazed tiles, topped with a cross. The entire structure is delicate and uniquely charming. The pastor’s courtyard follows the style of a traditional northern quadrangle, featuring a distinctive style, rigorous structure, interconnected rooms, and wooden floors with fireplaces in each room — keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. The renowned agricultural economist John Lossing Buck, a graduate of Cornell University, and Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck often attended religious services here during their time residing in Suzhou.

Protected area: Extending 10 meters east and west from the outer edge of the surrounding wall foundation, 5 meters south, and 5 meters north to the center of Dahe South Street.

Construction control zone: Extending 20 meters east to the west wall of the Administrative Office Dormitory Building, 5 meters south to the center of Xiaohe South Street, 30 meters west to the center of Xiangyang Lane, and 5 meters north to the center of Dahe South Street, all outside the protected area.