Route: Christian Glory Hall → former site of Dazhimen Station → old buildings in Hankou old concession → Poyang Street Orthodox Church → Shanghai Road Catholic Church.
Rongguangtang, located on Huangshi Road, is the largest Christian gathering place in Hankou. We arrived just in time for the second Christian gathering today. We saw many people coming in one after another at the gate. Walking to the lobby on the first floor, there were many chairs, mainly some old people. In front of the TV, a priest is preaching. I guess from the word "Rong" behind the podium in the picture that the sermon should be broadcast live on closed-circuit television in the church.
Let's go to the second floor, just like Wuchang Thanksgiving Hall. This is the lobby. At first glance, all the believers were full, and the priest preached on the platform, and there was a projection on the wall next to it. Today's topic is "Fight and Save", which seems to tell the story of Israel and God in the Old Testament.
Because there were too many people on the second floor, the staff asked us to go to the third floor, which was similar to the small stand in the cinema. Also full of people, we sat on the bench in the last row, blocked by the people in front, and couldn't see anything. I looked around. The ceiling and brackets are all made of wood, and the brown and red paint reminds people of its history.
Although believers call each other brothers and sisters, they are not familiar with each other because Christians do not necessarily come to church. A lady next to me looked at me several times. She wanted to say something to me, but the schedule was tight. We got up and left after sitting for more than ten minutes.
When I was leaving, an old lady downstairs was introducing the Lord to another old lady. As can be seen from the results of The Times of Friends I Have Never Met, faith has become a decisive force in the lives of many old people or has been pursued.
Stan knows Hankou well, but he doesn't know there is a church in Poyang Street. We walked from one end of the street to the other and found no shadow of it. When he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered that the address was 45 Poyang Street. So we followed the house number and finally found a church-like building in the yard of a KTV bar-that's it! Former Orthodox Church!
The door of the church is locked, but the wreath on the railing is still there, the big bronze bell on the door is still there, and the cross on the top of the church is still there, but the surrounding ancillary buildings are separated by two KTV and bars. There is also a warning sign next to the entrance of a KTV, which reads "No Prostitution, No Drug Use".
The external structure of this church is more complicated in several churches, and the circular staircase leads to the back of the church. There is a small rooftop where I don't know who it is, and all kinds of bonsai plants are planted, which is messy but a little angry. Through the broken window, you can see the chandelier in the church, and the candlestick on it is covered with dust. The departure of the Orthodox Church left this place deserted, and I saw the secular clouds eating away at the last ray of sunshine on the top of the church.
Shanghai Road Catholic Church is as silent as Huayuanshan Catholic Church. Just like last time, a staff member received us here. Only after I told him that we were only visiting historical buildings did he lobby us to join the church so actively.
Shanghai Road Catholic Church is slightly larger than Huayuanshan Catholic Church, and its decoration is exquisite and solemn. There are statues of the twelve disciples on both sides of the lobby, and colored sculptures of the Virgin and the Son on both sides of the altar. The cross behind the altar is still magnificent and shocking without light.
We asked the staff if they could take pictures, and he said yes. However, we are not allowed to take photos in Huayuanshan Catholic Church, and the staff told us the reason. Mainly related to a period of history, it is not convenient to elaborate here. When we asked whether the church was beaten during the Cultural Revolution, he told us that it was used as an acrobatic hall during the Cultural Revolution. We suddenly fell silent.
Before leaving, an old man staggered in, knelt on the bench and began to pray quietly …
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Collector: Del.icio.us