A Trinity Church in Langzhong City of Sichuan Province is a perfect combination of Chinese architecture and Christian church. The church which looks like a typical Sichuan folk house from outside has witnessed the history of Christianity in China.
In 1897, Missionary William W.Cassels from the Church of England presided over the construction of the Trinity Church.
The Trinity Church only has an area of about 350 square meters. It is a typical countryside church. The church looks in harmony with the surrounding streets and courtyards. The setting of the church is very simple but it has attracted many believers. At weekends the church is often solid with people.
The church had been used for more than 10 years and it couldn't hold the gradually increasing believers any more. Therefore, William W.Cassels began to work on the construction of St John's Church in1908. The church also adopted traditional Chinese timberwork and Gothic architecture.
In 1914, the biggest Christian church in the southwest region of China, St John's Church, was completed. William W.Cassels presided over the closing service.
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Nowadays the Trinity Church is located among a bunch of skyscrapers. Compared with the noisy streets and places of interest around, the church looks silent and elegant.
In recent years the Trinity Church has gone through several renovations. However, it still maintains the original style and details. You might even think this is an old local family courtyard.
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The layout of the Trinity Church is a Latin cross while the main body of the church adopts traditional Chinese column and tie construction.
The ancient Chinese palaces and temples commonly used column and tie construction, which is concise but safe.
During the "5 · 12" earthquake in 2008, the Trinity Church was only damaged a lot due to the unique architectural form.
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As an old church, the layout of the Trinity Church is simple. There are special wooden lattice windows in the church instead of glorious glass flower windows. The quiet atmosphere inside the hall makes the little church charming...
As a well-preserved old church, the Trinity Church is not only a cultural relic with much value but also a testimony of cultural exchanges between China and western countries.
It has aroused the interests of architects from different places. They are impressed by the architectural design, the technical style and artistic characteristics of the church.
St John's Church and the Trinity Church are only 50 meters apart. St John's Church is more famous and has attracted more believers. However, the Trinity Church has a different flavor, providing a peaceful and holy environment for visitors and believers.
