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Indigenizing Catholic Architecture in China: From Western-Gothic to Sino-Christian Design, 1900–1940

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Catholicism in China, 1900-Present

Abstract

Building churches in China—from the treaty ports to remote villages of the interior—was a concrete act making Christianity physically present in the public space. Choosing a particular architectural style, therefore, was a crucial issue to the missionaries, who interacted daily with Chinese people and local interests. Church builders could not only select precise references in a wide range of Western styles (Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque, Classic, Eclectic, and more), but also hybridize Chinese and Western forms, building types, construction techniques, and ornamentation. After the massive destruction of churches during the Boxer Uprising in 1900, discussed in Part 1, most new churches adopted a triumphant Gothic style that, at that time, was considered the best expression of “Christian Civilization.”

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Notes

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Authors
  1. Thomas Coomans
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Cindy Yik-yi Chu

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© 2014 Cindy Yik-yi Chu

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Coomans, T. (2014). Indigenizing Catholic Architecture in China: From Western-Gothic to Sino-Christian Design, 1900–1940. In: Chu, C.Yy. (eds) Catholicism in China, 1900-Present. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137353658_8

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