More than 2,000 Christians and ordinary people attended a sacred
ritual in a newly-established church in northeastern Beijing
Saturday to mark the Christmas eve.
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The rite was the first grand ceremony held in the Chaoyang
Christian Church, the first of its kinds built in the capital city
since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded,
according to Yu Lixin, a senior priest with the Christian
Association of China.
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The church, located in the Chaoyang District, began to receive
Christians on December 16 after a 21-month construction, which
involves an investment up to millions of yuan from the Beijing
Municipal Government.
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Constriction of another three churches is expected to finish next
year in the districts of Fengtai, Haidian and Yanqing, according to
Yu.
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Statistics from the municipal bureau of religion show that there
are more than 50,000 Christians and some 80 priests in this capital
city of China, where about 20 officially registered churches are
offering Christian services.
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The municipal government has been working hard to provide a better
environment for religious believers. A large amount of fund has
been injected to the renovation of some key churches in the
downtown regions.
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However, going to churches is not the only choice for ordinary
Chinese to spend the Christmas eve.
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Christmas, traditionally a Western holiday, is becoming more and
more popular in the oriental country and its people, especially the
youth, are taking various ways to experience the exotic festival.
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Numerous young people thronged to bars, KTVs, night clubs and other
entertainment facilities Saturday night. Many shopping centers
postponed their service time by several hours to meeting the
purchase boom.
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Christmas is not only a purely religious festival for many Chinese,
as more consider it a nice opportunity to add some color to the
life.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2005)