Zizhulin Church (紫竹林教堂) is a Roman Catholic church in Tianjin, China.
History The Tianjin massacre occurred in 1870 which resulted in the destruction of a number of churches in Tianjin. Following this, foreign Catholics decided to construct a new church within the boundaries of the French concession in Tianjin with reparation funds given by the Qing government.天津的紫竹林, 天津市和平区人民政府主办, archived from original, Retrieved 9 May 2023 Alphonse Favier established the Zizhulin church devoted to Saint Louis in 1872. Originally it was primarily used for service to foreign Catholics, however, Chinese Catholics also used it.天津紫竹林教堂部分建筑倒塌 百年教堂或危在旦夕, tj.ifeng, archived from original, Retrieved 9 May 2023
When the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1900, many churches in northern China were destroyed, however, Zizhulin church was not affected due to its location within the foreign concession that endured siege and was protected by foreign troops.The Boxer Rebellion: Bluejackets and Marines in China, Naval History and Heritage Command, Retrieved 10 May 2023
The church was closed in 1966 as a result of the universal closing of almost all religious buildings during the Cultural Revolution. 紫竹林教堂简介, 天主教天津教区西开总堂, archived from original, Retrieved 9 May 2023 In 1996, the building was given by the government back to the Tianjin diocese, however, due to its state of disrepair, it was not re-opened for masses, but rather was used as a residence for nuns.
In 2005, the Tianjin municipal government placed it on the list of historically protected structures in Tianjin. In 2013, it was also placed on the list of culturally protected relics in Tianjin. 第四批天津市文物保护单位名单, 天津市人民政府，Retrieved 10 May 2023天津市人民政府关于公布第四批我市文物保护单位名单的通知, 天津市人民政府, Retrieved 10 May 2023
In the 2010s, efforts were made with support from the Tianjin municipal government to renovate the church. It was restored and re-opened for public worship on the Feast of Christ the King 2017. 紫竹林堂区欢度基督普世君王节, 紫竹林堂，archived from original, Retrieved 10 May 2023
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