Beijing- People in China are enjoying "much better" religious freedom than before and over 70 percent of those attending services at the Beijing Haidian Christian Church are young people, says Pastor Wu Weiqing of the newly-built church.

The all-white building looks like an exhibition studio than a religious institution, with long white beams encircling the structure. A tall white cross stands in the covered stairway to the entrance to the church, while a sign on top says "Christian Church". Off to the side is a tall bell tower, also in white.

A general view of Beijing Haidian Christian Church July 8, 2007. [Sun Yuqing/chinadaily.com.cn] The old Beijing Haidian Christian Church [Courtesy of Liu Yang]

Beijing Haidian Christian Church, was originally built in 1933, but the number of attendees grew so much that it was knocked down and a new church was put into use on May 31 this year in Zhongguancun, also known as China's Silicon Valley.

It's also close to China's top learning institutes, like the Tsinghua University and Peking University, and situated among grand commercial buildings for China's leading IT companies, like Sina.com. As a result, most of the churchgoers are young people, explains Wu.

An open Bible

Church visitors appreciate the design of the church a lot. A middle-aged migrant worker surnamed Zhao said the church looked beautiful. He turned to Christianity in 1997 when he worked as a farmer in his hometown in North China's Hebei Province. Now he works in a furniture factory in suburban Beijing and needs to ask for a leave on weekends to go to the church. "It normally takes me two hours to come here by bus, but I go to other churches too," said Zhao with gray hairs and a thin face.

However, not everyone admires the new church and thinks the original one should have remained standing.

Liu Yang, an expert in church studies from Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) Administration, said, "It's a pity to see the old church demolished. With a history of 70 years, the old church should have been preserved and protected as a relic. "

But in an exclusive interview with China Daily Website, Wu explained that the old church was deteriorating in a dirty and noisy street, and it was becoming too dangerous to hold services in it. He added that the original church was too small to hold the increasing number of Christians attending services there.

"The old church didn't suit the development and the surrounding commercial buildings," he said. "The style of old church was neither baroque nor Roman, and it wasn't like a church," explained Wu.

Church administrators welcomed architect firms to submit designs for the new church, and German company GMP International GmbH came up with the all-white structure. Wu said the church made clear its interior and exterior requirements, including ways to cut operating costs.

"I am 150 percent satisfied with the new church's design, and the placement of cross, bell tower and the appearance are beyond my expectations," said Wu with a smile. "The church appears like an open Bible and the ascending stairs make people feel the sense of being a Christian."

When asked about building costs, Wu said the new structure was of no cost to the church, but that 5 million yuan was spent on interior decoration. Rooms in the church are rented out, and the money covers water, heat and electricity bills, according to Wu.

A general view of Beijing Haidian Christian Church July 18, 2007. [Sun Yuqing/chinadaily.com.cn] Entrance of the old Beijing Haidian Christian Church [Courtesy of Liu Yang]

Helga Reimund, an architect with GMP International, said in an email interview that the new church "distinguishes it from the surrounding commercial buildings. At the same time it creates exiting spaces to the surrounding buildings." She also said that "the facade columns give the church a homogeneous shell allowing natural lighting of the interior."

A variety of materials were used to build the church, including cherry wood paneling, visible concrete beams with sound absorbing suspended panels, and concrete columns with thermal insulation and plaster for the facade.

A harmonious society

Wu, who is also the deputy chairman of the Beijing Christian Council and member of Beijing People's Congress, has led this church since 2001. At the opening ceremony of the church in late May, he said, "The new church provides the new start point for us to return Jesus' love to the people and contribute to the efforts of building a harmonious society."

Besides managing the church, Wu had a busy schedule everyday, especially on Sunday. "We have English services on Sunday, and some 50 foreigners usually came to the church." In total over 4,000 people attend weekend services.

More people become to believe in Christianity because of China's growing involvement into world community and other social, economical or spiritual reasons, said Wu.

An undergraduate student from Tsinghua University, a relatively new churchgoer, took her father to the church for the first time. "I heard a story of Paul today, and it's beneficial," said the father surnamed Guo. His daughter said she got to know Christianity because there are some groups interested in the Bible on campus. "It helps me to better think the purpose of life."

People walk on the stairs of Beijing Haidian Christian Church in this July 8, 2007 file photo. [Sun Yuqing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing Haidian Christian Church [Courtesy of GMP]