The Comparative Analysis of the Styles of Christian Churches in Modern Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong

Jian Tang,Xinyu Li

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202128302017

Abstract

Chinese Christian (Catholic) architecture is not only an important type of religious architecture, but also an important witness of cultural exchanges between China and the West. This article comprehensively summarizes the architectural styles of Christian (Catholic) churches in modern mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, and compares the differences in the main styles of their churches horizontally. Based on the data results, a comprehensive analysis of various factors such as age, region, religion, and society is carried out to further explore the reasons for the differences in the architectural styles of Christian churches in the three regions, and discover the historical and religious significance of the Christian churches in modern China.

Highlights

Christianity (Catholicism) has been introduced to China three times, among which the third mission began in the 16th century, first in Shangchuan Island, Guangdong Province, and into the mainland through Macau
Due to the lack of documentation and the non-extensive nature of Christian missionary groups in China, modern Chinese Christian church architecture is in urgent need of research and conservation
“A Study of Modern Chinese Christian Church Architecture” (Xu Min, 2010)4 compares the evolution of the architectural styles of Christian churches in modern China, but does not further explore the differences between the styles of churches in the mainland, Macau and Hong Kong

Summary

Introduction

Christianity (Catholicism) has been introduced to China three times, among which the third mission began in the 16th century (late Ming Dynasty), first in Shangchuan Island, Guangdong Province, and into the mainland through Macau. Most of the existing churches in Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong were brought by the third Christian (Catholic) entering China. There is very little review of the overall specific styles of churches in Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, such as “Neoclassicism in China and the West” (Gotina, 2005). “A Study of Modern Chinese Christian Church Architecture” (Xu Min, 2010) compares the evolution of the architectural styles of Christian churches in modern China, but does not further explore the differences between the styles of churches in the mainland, Macau and Hong Kong. Judging from the data collected so far, based on the research of single church architecture, there is no research to comprehensively sort out the architectural styles of Christian churches in the three regions and further analyze the differences between them

Research purpose and Method

Data Analysis

Conclusion