Modern Christian Landscape in Nanjing, China: A Literature Review

Cheng Fang,Bo Yang

doi:10.3390/su9112155

Abstract

Between the First Opium War in 1840 and the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the development of modern Christianity in Nanjing expanded beyond the parameters of faith and spirituality, while interacting closely with Nanjing’s city life and space across a wider spectrum, such that a unique religious and cultural landscape was produced. Through an extensive literature review of 115 articles identified on this topic, this paper analyzes the development of the space of Christian churches in Nanjing, and further documents the pattern of interactions between Nanjing’s development as a modern city and its religious cultural landscape. Moreover, drawing from the theoretical perspective of Sense of Place, the paper summarizes the characteristics of religious cultural landscape in the aspects of vision and structure, function and modernization, and memory and identity, and points out that the Christian landscape should also be conducted from the activation of material form, local functions and historical meanings to achieve sustainable development of Christian landscape. Finally, the paper offers planning and design strategies for the continued growth of Christian landscape in Nanjing.

Highlights

From ancient times to the present day, there have been many religions and religious cultures in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, and one of the most rapid economic developing regions in China (Figure 1)
The Christian landscapes are important elements that construct the special places in Nanjing
The protections of the Christian landscapes should include the activation of material form, local functions and historical meanings in order to achieve sustainability

Summary

Introduction

From ancient times to the present day, there have been many religions and religious cultures in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, and one of the most rapid economic developing regions in China (Figure 1). In the long course of history, the religious space is the material carrier of city’s belief activities and the direct reflection of urban landscape features [1]. Southern China was the earliest location where Buddhist culture propagated [2]. In the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, Catholicism and Christianity were introduced to China from the coastal cities in southeast China. These religious traditions and beliefs spread to other cities, making their way inland to cities such as Nanjing. Many cities that the missionaries chose were very important cities at that time

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Conclusion