The Zhongzhou Church, located on Zhongzhou Island in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, has begun its demolition and second relocation due to urban planning, said a local Christian woman.
Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was a place of assembly for Christians on Zhongzhou Island in Fuzhou City. During the revival of the Fuzhou churches, the number of believers surged significantly. Chinese church leader Watchman Nee donated his ancestral property and converted it into a meeting venue for the congregations, which was renamed Zhongzhou Church as the number of Christians had exceeded 2,000 in 1994. The Zhongzhou Church was rebuilt as a part of the development of Zhongzhou Island by foreign businessmen from 2000 to 2002.
In recent years, the Fuzhou government has planned to further upgrade Zhongzhou Island to speed up urban planning for the development of a modernized international city. It is learned that Zhongzhou Island adopts a collage design, combining the "arching" of the Jiefang Bridge and the "Continental-style" architecture on the east side as frameworks to construct a modern semicircular arch-shaped western architecture.
Zhongzhou Island will then become a cultural and recreational hotspot along the Minjiang River, functioning as a center for culture, commerce, and socializing. It is expected to emerge as a name card emblem and landmark for Fuzhou City.
A preacher said that the Zhongzhou Church will be reconstructed and relocated to Fanchuanpu by the Minjiang River, which makes it adjacent to the Fanchuanpu Catholic Church, the biggest Catholic church in Fujian. “It is the Lord’s grace that Zhongzhou Church can be rebuilt in such a good location as Fanchuanpu on Nantai Island by the Minjiang River,” another Christian woman added.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Fuzhou, Fujian.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
