Christ Church (Huai'en Tang)

　　        The church was founded in 1910 (the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty), originally situated on North Sichuan Road in Hongkou. American Southern Baptist missionary Leland Stewart acquired over 20 acres of land here to establish Huai'en Tang, as well as Minqiang Middle School and Yanshisi Girls' School (now Beijiao Middle School). In 1924, due to a sharp rise in land values on North Sichuan Road, the Southern Baptist Convention sold the original buildings, relocated the two middle schools to Beibaoxing Road, creating 'Baptist Village,' and allocated funds to construct a four-story building at 271 Dongbaoxing Road to serve as the new site for Huai'en Tang and Huai'en Primary and Secondary Schools. In December 1935, the church invited Rev. Qi Qingcai to serve as pastor, a role he held until his death in 1990.

　　    In 1937, the Battle of Shanghai began, and Hongkou became a battleground, forcing Huai'en Tang to relocate to No. 32, Wangjiasha Garden, Lane 605, Aiwen Road. As the congregation continued to grow, in 1940, the church purchased a plot of land at 375 West Shaanxi Road (then known as Sime Road) and began constructing a new building. The new church was completed in 1942, with a capacity to accommodate over a thousand people. It became one of the major Christian churches in Shanghai. Rev. Qi Qingcai also served as the chairman of the National Baptist Convention of China.

　　    In 1950, Rev. Qi Qingcai was among the 40 founding members of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Christianity. Huai'en Tang severed all ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1954, he was elected as a standing committee member and vice-chairman of the National Christian Three-Self Patriotic Association; after the establishment of the Shanghai Three-Self Patriotic Association in 1955, Rev. Qi was re-elected as vice-chairman for three consecutive terms.

　　    In 1958, during the implementation of united worship in Shanghai's Christian community, the original 208 churches were consolidated into 22, further reduced to 11 by 1965—but this church was retained. On August 23, 1966, amid the height of the Cultural Revolution, it was closed down. On December 28, 1980, Huai'en Tang reopened and resumed worship services. During the reopening, Rev. Qi Qingcai was elected as the head of church affairs. By 1987, the registered congregation had reached 9,535 members, making it one of the larger churches in Shanghai. The church can accommodate over 2,000 worshippers during services, ranking it among the largest-capacity churches in Shanghai. It has also been designated as a protected municipal-level architectural site in Shanghai.

　　    Opening hours: 09:00–19:00 (Saturday to Sunday)

　　    Transportation

　　    Address: 375 North Shaanxi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

　　    Transportation: Bus routes 927, 15, 21, 939, 206, 104