Orthodox Church in China?

[NightOwl]

I'm currently studying Chinese in university and plan on studying abroad there. What is the situation of the Chinese Orthodox Church? Is the Liturgy still celebrated regularly in Beijing for example?

Thanks!

[CRCulver]

I'm currently studying Chinese in university and plan on studying abroad there. What is the situation of the Chinese Orthodox Church? Is the Liturgy still celebrated regularly in Beijing for example?

When I was last in Beijing in 2007, the only Orthodox parish I could find was at the Russian embassy (entry to which was prohibited to non-Russians.) The Communist government seized the Orthodox parishes in other cities decades ago and the churches are now used for different purposes. The one in Shanghai is now a Spanish (IIRC) restaurant.

There is a functioning parish in Harbin.

Hong Kong is separate from the rest of China when it comes to freedom of religion. There's a nice parish in Central (on like the 20th floor of a skyscraper).

[Antonis]

Unfortunately if you tried to speak Mandarin in Xiang Gang all you would get would be weird looks.

I am also studying Chinese, yay, another Orthodox person learning Chinese.

[akimori makoto]

Unfortunately if you tried to speak Mandarin in Xiang Gang all you would get would be weird looks.

I am also studying Chinese, yay, another Orthodox person learning Chinese.

Wow, I respect that. Not the easiest choice!

Tone does my head in.

[smithakd]

There's a few churches in the PRC, but Beijing serves (fortnightly?) in an embassy church (Fr Sergei) and Shanghai has probably returned to a room in the embassy (with weekly services), after being in a former Orthodox church for the duration of Expo.

Beijing and Shanghai require you to be a foreigner to enter (showing a passport to guards and all), and in Beijing's case, you have to have your name placed on the list beforehand (an e-mail should suffice).

There are other parishes dotted around China - I believe Guangzhou has one, and Xinjiang as well...and, of course, two in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan (depending on your political views).  The best resource is probably orthodox.cn - Mitrophan is doing a great service for those interested in Chinese Orthodoxy.

Hope this helps!

[NightOwl]

There's a few churches in the PRC, but Beijing serves (fortnightly?) in an embassy church (Fr Sergei) and Shanghai has probably returned to a room in the embassy (with weekly services), after being in a former Orthodox church for the duration of Expo.

Beijing and Shanghai require you to be a foreigner to enter (showing a passport to guards and all), and in Beijing's case, you have to have your name placed on the list beforehand (an e-mail should suffice).

There are other parishes dotted around China - I believe Guangzhou has one, and Xinjiang as well...and, of course, two in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan (depending on your political views).  The best resource is probably orthodox.cn - Mitrophan is doing a great service for those interested in Chinese Orthodoxy.

Hope this helps!

Great site, thank you very much!

[Iconodule]

A certain American hieromonk does missionary work there and there are house churches, but by their nature these are not easy to find. I would say as a functioning body there is no Chinese Orthodox Church anymore but hopefully a normalized situation will arise in the near future.

Xiang Gang of course isn't the best place to practice Mandarin but it's not completely unheard there.

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