Church in the North West

This is a Christian church just off the main street. I was told it was built more than a hundred years ago, in the late Qing Dynasty. It has been closed during the Cultural Revolution, and is now officially registered with the government.

From the perspective of women, the contrast against a Muslim mosque cannot be greater. While women basically are barred from a mosque, here they are in the majority, as in many other churches in mainland China. When we arrived in the late evening, the choir was preparing to practice for Christmas. There were 20+ women, with no men in sight.

The sanctuary can hold at least several hundred people, and its three services on Sunday are always full.