Holy Trinity Church | Mysterious and Solemn, Witness to the Raising of Shanghai's First Red Flag

At 219 Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, stands a Christian church with red brick walls both inside and out—Holy Trinity Church, commonly known as the "Red Church." Although nestled among tall ancient trees, the church's exterior is still visible, its beautiful radiance undeniable‼️ In 2019, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site. Holy Trinity Church, originally built in 1847 (the 27th year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty), is known as the "Grandest Cathedral in the Far East." The pipe organ on the right side of the church is particularly striking. Originally located in the center of the Shanghai International Settlement, it served as a church specifically for Anglican members of the British expatriate community. In 1875 (the first year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty), it was elevated to the status of an Anglican cathedral, also known as the "Anglican Cathedral." 🌈Highlights: 🌸The church's architectural style is unique, with exquisite interior and exterior decorations. The red brick walls complement the stained-glass holy paintings, and the reliefs and baptismal font inside the chapel are equally breathtaking. The church's interior layout is compact, and its Gothic aesthetic evokes a sense of holiness and solemnity. 🌸Once the tallest building in Shanghai, it served as a symbol of the city. "When ships sailed into the Huangpu River and saw the spire of the cathedral—they knew they had arrived in Shanghai." Located just across the street from the former Shanghai Municipal Government (the Municipal Council Building), the church witnessed the raising of the first five-star red flag 🇨🇳 in Shanghai. 📚Church Information: ✅Designed by the British architect, George Gilbert Scott, the church imitates its parent church in London, England, featuring a Gothic Revival style with some eclectic elements. It has a Latin cross floor plan, and the facade adopts a high-middle, low-sides composition, divided into three sections by three rows of continuous arched colonnades, with pointed arched doors and windows, and exposed roof truss structure. The bell tower was destroyed in 1966. ✅The church facade is approximately 19m high, the central hall has a wooden arched structure with scissor-shaped wooden trusses and a stone roof. The red brick exterior walls are interspersed with gray bricks at the arches, forming a zebra-striped pattern, a unique regional characteristic. ✅The church ceiling is decorated with a "round collar" style, and the window frames and chair backs are studded with nameplates of donors, reminiscent of ancient European churches. ⏰ Opening Hours: Open only on Sundays from 8:00 to 10:00 am, and advance reservations are required‼️ Reservations for Sunday services begin every Friday at 9:00 am, and the service time is from 9:00 to 10:00 am. 🎫Tickets: Free 🚗Transportation: Accessible by Subway Line 2/Line 10, Bus Route 17, etc.