The spirit of Christmas

Shanghai Community Church.

The highest church:

Sheshan Notre Dame Cathedral 佘山圣母大教堂

The cathedral stands at the top of Sheshan Mountain in Shanghai's southwest Songjiang district. It was first built in the 1870s by French missionaries and has had several facelifts. The existing cathedral was built between 1925 and 1935.

The cathedral, in European baroque style, can hold 4,000 people. The main sacrificial altar in the main hall is made from marble, and it has stained glass windows. On top of the bell tower stands an 8-meter-high bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, representing the kindness of welcoming pilgrims.

From the foot of Sheshan Mountain to the top there are 147 pavilions, each with an engraving depicting the crucifixion of Jesus.

Tel: 021-5765-1521

Address: inside Shanghai Sheshan National Forest Park, 9142 Waiqingsong Highway, Songjiang district 松江区外青松公路9142号 上海佘山国家森林公园内

Christmas mass: 8:00 pm on Dec 24, 8:30 am on Dec 25

The oldest church:

Holy Trinity Church 圣三一堂

Locals call it "the red church" for its red brick walls. A British businessman bought the land at the center of the public concessions in 1847 to build the church. It was the first church in Shanghai.

However, the church was poorly constructed and plagued with misfortune. The first priest at the church drowned. His replacement fell from the roof and died less than two years later. A large amount of money was spent on repairing the church after it was damaged by strong winds in the following years, but it was still believed to be unsafe and underwent major repairs in 1862.

The bell tower of the church, built in 1893, was a landmark of Shanghai before the 1930s when most of the buildings were no more than 10-storeys tall.

Tel: 021-6321-0806

Address: 219 Jiujiang Road, Huangpu district 黄浦区九江路219号

There is no Christmas worship at the church this year.