In light of China's 11th celebration of National Cultural Heritage Day, one of Shanghai's top cultural relics and protection units opened its doors to the public on June 11.
The Moore Memorial Church took part in Shanghai's celebrations, opening their doors to the public on June 11 for visitors to see the Church's collection of relics and teach them its importance. The church - also known as the Mu En Church - was established in 1887 by American missionaries with the endowment given by Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Royster Moor of Kansas. As a result, the Church was renamed in 1900 as the Moore Memorial Church. The Church was continously expanded from 1931 to accomodate more parishioners and eventually, it was able to establish its own local membership in 1979 after the Cultural Revolution.
It was estimated that 500 residents took part in the church's activities for the Cultural Heritage Day from 3 to 5 in the afternoon. The church said that the activities were aimed to exploit the city's history and culture and retain the memories of the city's history, mobilizing the community to participate in the protection and propagation of historical and cultural areas.
The Chinese Cultural Heritage Day is a yearly event held every second Saturday of June. It was first celebrated on June 10, 2006 and considered one of China's most important efforts for the protection of Chinese cultural heritage. The day was also established to create a good atmospher to enhance the efforts for protecting the country's heritage and introduce the country's heritage to the people.
The Chinese government even issued a Notice on Strengthening Cultural Heritage Protection in December 2005 to ensure that the country remains active in responding on special requests on protecting tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
