Guangzhou is home to a surprisingly large number of Christian churches, many boasting over 100 years of history. Whether you’re looking for an outlet to connect with God and meet fellow believers, or are just curious and want to admire the architecture, the four churches below provide the best windows into Christianity in Guangzhou.

1) Shamian Chapel (Lady of Lourdes Chapel)View In Map
Originally founded as a place of worship for the British Concession of Guangzhou, Shamian Chapel or Lady of Lourdes Chapel, was built in 1865. Ceremonies here are always conducted by English-speaking priests and the church is one the most popular places of worship among the foreign community in Guangzhou. Like many churches, Shamian Chapel has endured its fair share of tumultuous history. After the Second World War the Chinese government took control of it for decades before turning it back into a place of worship in 1991. The church is not normally open to the public except during weddings or on Sundays.

Add: 60 Shamian Dajie, Liwan District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市荔湾区沙面大街60号, 沙面堂
Tel: 020 8121 7950
Opening hours: Sun, mass at 11:00
Getting there: take metro line 1 to Huangsha station

2) Sacred Heart CathedralView In Map
Sacred Heart Cathedral is not only the largest stone church in China, it’s also one of just four Gothic-style churches in the world to be built entirely of granite, including all the walls, pillars and the twin towers. Built in 1863, its stunning gothic façade has been compared to the Notre Dame in Paris. The church takes up a floor area of 2,754 square metres, is 25 meters wide and over 78.69 meters long. Sacred Heart Cathedral is a popular destination for foreign worshippers in the Guangzhou area and the church gets particularly lively during the holiday season, especially during Christmas mass.  

Add: 56-7 Jiubuqian, Yide Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区一德路旧部前56-7号(近一德花园), 石室圣心大教堂
Tel: 020 8333 6761
Opening hours: Sun, mass at 15:30
Getting there: take bus no. 4, 8, 61, 86, 夜6 or夜16 to Yide Dong stop (一德东)

3) Dongshan Church View In Map
Another large Church in Guangzhou, construction of Dongshan Church began in 1827. In 1927 the church was again placed under construction, this time to build a second floor. By the time it was finished, the entire structure took up over 1000 square meters of ground area. Donshan underwent renovations again in recent times, extending its ground space to 3300 square meters – a space large enough to seat 1300 worshippers. Every year, Dongshan Church has a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day mass which everyone is welcome to attend.

Add: 9 Sibeitongjin, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区（原东山区）寺贝通津9号, 东山堂
Tel: 020 8777 6305
Opening hours: open to public on Sundays; English mass is at 15:00
Getting there: take Metro line 1 Dongshankou station, Exit A.

4) Guangxiao ChurchView In Map
This church's history began around 1924, and it is exceptional in that it was funded by Chinese Christians rather than western missionaries. Accordingly, its architecture and décor is a mixture of Chinese and Italian influences with beautiful paintings along the walls. With a floor space of 1470 square meters and about 1,200 seats, it is one of the most spacious churches in Guangzhou. The church is normally not open to the public except on Sundays. Christmas is a good time to attend a ceremony here as not only does it hold a beautiful Christmas mass but presents are also handed out to attendees. 

Add: 29 Guangxiao Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区光孝路29号(近西门口地铁站), 光孝堂
Tel: 020 8108 7837
Opening hours: Open to the public on Sundays
Getting there: take Metro line 1 to Ximenkou station

5) Zion Christian ChurchView In Map
This church was founded by Chinese-American pastor Yu Xisheng in 1901. Its earliest location was at Youlanmen (today’s Haizhu Nanyanting East Street) but was destroyed during a fire. The rebuilt version was completed in February 1936 only to be shut down again during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. 14 years later in 1980, the church once again began operating as a place of worship. The atmosphere within in the church is rather stern but every Sunday over 1800 worshippers pour in practice their faith.

Add: 393 Renmin Zhonglu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
地址：广州市越秀区人民中路392号, 锡安堂
Tel: 020 8188 9054
Getting there: take Metro line 1 to Ximenkou station

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Keywords: Christian churches Guangzhou