Thursday, July 24, 2008
Christ vs Buddha - Equal Treatment
China Hand has given a few sprays recently on the subject of run-down Christian cathedrals and luxury, gold plated Buddhist temples. Mention might have been made of a brand new 'renovated' Buddhist Temple in Suzhou recently out on the Yangcheng Lakes area. He may have contrasted this opulent temple, which features China's tallest indoor Guanyin figure with the 'down-at-heel' look of the Sheshan Marian Catholic Cathedral in Shanghai. A monk, in answer to our questions, volunteered it had cost RMB 8oo million yuan to built - an improbably large figure, being in excess of US$120m.
So it was with a sense of bemusement today that I found an article in the latest 'Spotlight', an English language magazine for the expat community, announcing the commencement of construction for a large Christian church complex on the shores of Suzou's Dushu Lake where HKU SPACE college us located. The ground laying ceremony was a month ago in the presence of local and expat Christians from Singapore, Korea and Japan, as well as the Chairman of the Suzhou Christian Council, the Reverend He Jiemaio. The artist impression indicates a large church and administrative compound rendered in classical red-brick and grey slate roof with a no-frills, protestant style which the article describes as 'gothic'. It is in a 5,000 sq M compound. The church will seat 1,000 worshippers.
Numerous government officials were present to underline that this august institution was indeed an SOE, or state owned enterprise. Christians in the SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park) are reported to be around 9,300, which includes 5,500 expatriate Christians. Expatriates may form their own religious groups and worship freely, however they may not invite locals to attend. It was not clear from the article who may worship there. One assumes it will not be a large drain on China's gold reserves.
China Hand has given a few sprays recently on the subject of run-down Christian cathedrals and luxury, gold plated Buddhist temples. Mention might have been made of a brand new 'renovated' Buddhist Temple in Suzhou recently out on the Yangcheng Lakes area. He may have contrasted this opulent temple, which features China's tallest indoor Guanyin figure with the 'down-at-heel' look of the Sheshan Marian Catholic Cathedral in Shanghai. A monk, in answer to our questions, volunteered it had cost RMB 8oo million yuan to built - an improbably large figure, being in excess of US$120m.
So it was with a sense of bemusement today that I found an article in the latest 'Spotlight', an English language magazine for the expat community, announcing the commencement of construction for a large Christian church complex on the shores of Suzou's Dushu Lake where HKU SPACE college us located. The ground laying ceremony was a month ago in the presence of local and expat Christians from Singapore, Korea and Japan, as well as the Chairman of the Suzhou Christian Council, the Reverend He Jiemaio. The artist impression indicates a large church and administrative compound rendered in classical red-brick and grey slate roof with a no-frills, protestant style which the article describes as 'gothic'. It is in a 5,000 sq M compound. The church will seat 1,000 worshippers.
Numerous government officials were present to underline that this august institution was indeed an SOE, or state owned enterprise. Christians in the SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park) are reported to be around 9,300, which includes 5,500 expatriate Christians. Expatriates may form their own religious groups and worship freely, however they may not invite locals to attend. It was not clear from the article who may worship there. One assumes it will not be a large drain on China's gold reserves.
