Catholicism the King Church

Walking on the giant deer, I met the Catholic King's Hall, also known as the Emperor's Hall, originally located at 165 Changle Road, built in 1928, officially for foreign Catholics in 1933 to speak English. In 1985, due to the construction of the new Jinjiang Hotel, the new church held a mass at the new site (361 Julu Road) on April 25, 1993. The English Mass of the Catholic Diocese of Shanghai was once located in the new church of Kings Church, and in 2002 moved to the St. Peter's Church on South Chongqing Road. Today, the Sunday is only Chinese Mass. On the opposite side of the road, I was attracted by its simple and atmospheric exterior shape. When I approached, the Mass time was over. It was not a religious person who was embarrassed to disturb. I didn't expect the staff to say: "Since I'm here, turn on the light for you and go in and have a look." After entering, I met the churchman singing a chant. The song is deeply rooted in the people's hearts, and there is still a different belief after all. If you encounter a church or a temple, if you are allowed, you will go in and feel the relaxation of the spirit, the calmness of the heart, and the rest.

The Catholic Church is one of the most unique historical sites in Shanghai. Shanghai was the first open foreign trade industry, and a large number of overseas personnel also came to Shanghai. Catholicism also prevailed in Shanghai with the influx of overseas people. The Catholic Church is a historical monument of this era.

The King's Hall, also known as the Emperor's Hall, was originally located at 165 Changle Road, built in 1928, and officially opened in 1933 as the English-speaking hall of foreign Catholics, the first priest, McDonald.

In April 1954, the PLA withdrew from the King's Hall. On the night of September 8, 1955, the Shanghai Public Security Bureau issued a large number of police forces, and the fathers of the King's Hall, Zhu Hongsheng and Bishop Yuan Pinmei, and more than 30 priests were arrested at the same time. Since then, the palace has continued to open, and in 1959, when the venue was adjusted, it continued to be one of the two Catholic churches retained in the Luwan District.

The singing class of King's Hall is also quite standard, the American priest Bai Shi'an's bass, Chen Qixuan's soprano, and Chen Lu-like electronic piano, and the four or five chorus of men and women, attracted many Quakers, so that the hall was always full. In the 1950s, the church was heavily religious and the number of followers increased significantly, reaching 2309 by 1961.

On February 1, 1951, the Catholic University of Zhendan was accepted by the government, and the missionaries withdrew from the school, so the Catholic student of the school, Zhu Shude, changed to the priest of the King's Church, Zhu Hongsheng Rendudian Church, both of whom studied abroad, knowledgeable, and faith. Father Zhu Shude set up a college teaching group in the King's Hall, inviting priests Cai Shifang, Chen Tianxiang, Chen Yunxuan and other priests to preach, attracting five or sixty young students to devote themselves to religious life.

In 1933, it was designated as an English language hall, mainly for English-speaking foreign nationals, and some Chinese churchgoers participated, such as Beijing Opera actor Yan Huizhu. The church is round in appearance and beautifully decorated. There are two wide lawns behind the church. It has a marble room, ping-pong room, badminton, tennis court, refreshment room, which is unique to each church in Shanghai.

Junwangtang is located at No. 165, Panshi Road, in the center of the French Concession, east of Notre Dame Road (now Ruijin Road), adjacent to Huayi Apartment (now Jinjiang Hotel), opposite the Zhendan Women's College of Arts and Science (now Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences) and Zhendan Girls Middle School, which was founded in 1928 by the apostolic priest of the Patriarchate of Nanjing Founded by the teaching of Huijiliang, the Jesuit president Shan Zongtai presided over the consecration ceremony.