Known for its beautiful scenery and moderate climate, Mount Lushan, nationally famed in East China's Jiangxi Province, has attracted many foreign churches since Edward Selby Little, a British missionary who developed its Guling town as an ideal place to escape summer, came to the region. Many churches were constructed at that time as a result of foreign visits in the province. However, there is only one church which is in use now, marking the only Chapel at the Mount Lushan.
Built in 1910, the chapel is located at No. 438 Road Hexi. It is known as the church with the longest history on the mountain. Formerly, the building which chapel now uses is a medical hall of a British church. Then, the church also served as a classroom for an American school. Near the founding of New China, it was changed into a Christian chapel.
The local believers told CCD that Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling often attended the services in the chapel when they lived on the mountain. There is also a cinema on the right side of the church, which shows just one film entitled "Romance on Lushan Mountain", which was shot in 1980. The believers also explained that the cinema was previously a union chapel founded in 1897 and the photos of the chapel are collected and displayed in Lushan Museum. In 1960, it was transformed into the current cinema.
Now, the Chapel is the only church for the believers of Guling town and can only hold 200 people.
The chapel's Elder Cai said that the town has a population of more than 10,000 and over 120 of them are Christians. Because there is no high school on the mountain, many people move down the mountain when it's time for their children to go to middle school. Some people purchase houses at the foot of the mountain and a large percentage of the locals observe the Spring Festival down the mountain. As a result, few people attend the church services in the chapel during the festival.
They move back to the mountain from July to September, which is also a peak tourist season. So, the church is crowded with people during that period and the pastoral staff of Jiujiang Gospel Church are invited to preach sermons in the church.
Translated by Karen Luo
Known for its beautiful scenery and moderate climate, Mount Lushan, nationally famed in East China's Jiangxi Province, has attracted many foreign churches since Edward Selby Little, a British missionary who developed its Guling town as an ideal place to escape summer, came to the region. Many churches were constructed at that time as a result of foreign visits in the province. However, there is only one church which is in use now, marking the only Chapel at the Mount Lushan.
Built in 1910, the chapel is located at No. 438 Road Hexi. It is known as the church with the longest history on the mountain. Formerly, the building which chapel now uses is a medical hall of a British church. Then, the church also served as a classroom for an American school. Near the founding of New China, it was changed into a Christian chapel.
The local believers told CCD that Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling often attended the services in the chapel when they lived on the mountain. There is also a cinema on the right side of the church, which shows just one film entitled "Romance on Lushan Mountain", which was shot in 1980. The believers also explained that the cinema was previously a union chapel founded in 1897 and the photos of the chapel are collected and displayed in Lushan Museum. In 1960, it was transformed into the current cinema.
Now, the Chapel is the only church for the believers of Guling town and can only hold 200 people.
The chapel's Elder Cai said that the town has a population of more than 10,000 and over 120 of them are Christians. Because there is no high school on the mountain, many people move down the mountain when it's time for their children to go to middle school. Some people purchase houses at the foot of the mountain and a large percentage of the locals observe the Spring Festival down the mountain. As a result, few people attend the church services in the chapel during the festival.
They move back to the mountain from July to September, which is also a peak tourist season. So, the church is crowded with people during that period and the pastoral staff of Jiujiang Gospel Church are invited to preach sermons in the church.
Translated by Karen Luo
