Chinese Orthodox Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chinese Orthodox Church
Church of the Intercession, Harbin
Abbreviation	COC
Classification	Eastern Orthodox
Bishops	0
Parishes	13
Liturgy	Byzantine Rite
Territory	People's Republic of China
Members	15,000

The Chinese Orthodox Church (also known as the Chinese Eastern Orthodox Church) is a Christian church in China. It is part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is one of the oldest Christian groups in the world. The church in China started with the help of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1600s. In 1957, the Russian Church gave the Chinese Church the right to manage itself.

Christianity's Early Days in China

Christianity might have arrived in China very early, possibly around 68 AD. Some people believe Thomas the Apostle brought it during his travels to India. There are also ideas that some Church of the East Christians from Assyria came during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD).

The first clear proof of Christianity in China comes from the Church of the East in the 600s. A famous stone monument called the Nestorian Stele and the Daqin Pagoda in Xi'an show this. Even though this form of Christianity faced problems in the 800s, it came back in the 1200s. However, it quickly faded again when the Chinese Ming dynasty began in the 1300s.

The Russian Orthodox Mission

A former Orthodox church in Wuhan

The Russian Orthodox Church began sending missionaries to China in the late 1600s. This was often connected to Russia's political and trade goals.

In the 1680s, Russian settlers called Cossacks and some Orthodox priests built a settlement. The Chinese emperor, Kangxi Emperor, saw this as his land. He sent soldiers to attack the Russian settlement. Most Cossacks went back to Russia, but about 30 joined the Chinese army.

After a peace agreement in 1689, Russian traders were allowed to visit Beijing. These trade trips soon became linked with the church's mission. At first, the mission helped the Russian settlers in Beijing. Later, Peter the Great, the Russian emperor, saw trade as a way to help Russia's interests in China. He sent a senior priest, called an Archimandrite, to Beijing. He also wanted priests to learn Chinese to become missionaries.

The first official mission started in Beijing in 1715. This mission was officially recognized in a treaty in 1727. The Chinese government allowed the Russians to build an Orthodox chapel in Beijing. The mission also did important studies on China. Two priests, Iakinf and Palladius, became famous for their knowledge of Chinese culture and language. Palladius even created a dictionary.

The Boxer Rebellion's Impact

The Boxer Rebellion happened between 1898 and 1900. During this time, groups in China attacked foreign missionaries and Chinese people who had become Christians. The Orthodox mission suffered greatly. The rebels burned the mission's library in Beijing.

The Orthodox Church remembers 222 Chinese Orthodox Christians who were killed in 1900. One of them was Father Mitrophan. They are honored as the Holy Martyrs of China.

Despite these difficult times, by 1902, there were 32 Orthodox churches in China. Around 6,000 people were members. The church also ran schools and places for orphans.

Important Leaders of the Russian Mission

Many leaders guided the Russian Orthodox Mission in China over the years. These leaders, often called Archimandrites or Bishops, helped grow the church. They also worked to spread Orthodox Christianity in China. Some notable leaders included Archimandrite Hilarion, Archimandrite Hyacinth (Bichurin), and Metropolitan Innocent (Figourovsky). They played a key role in the mission's growth and its studies of Chinese culture.

The Chinese Orthodox Church Today

After the People's Republic of China was formed in 1949, the church faced new challenges. The Russian Church decided to give the Chinese Orthodox Church the power to run itself. This happened officially in 1957. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, it became very hard for Christians in China. Public religious activities stopped almost completely during the Cultural Revolution in 1966.

Since the 1980s, the Chinese government officially recognizes five main religions. These are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The Orthodox Church is not yet officially recognized in the same way. Still, China and Russia have been working together to help the Chinese Orthodox Church grow again.

Today, there are only a few places in mainland China with regular Orthodox services. These are in Beijing, Shanghai, and Harbin. The church in Harbin is the only one where Chinese citizens can regularly worship. In other areas, like Northeast and Western China, small groups of Orthodox Christians meet quietly.

In 2018, the Chinese government allowed new priests to be trained in Russian seminaries. This was a big step for the church.

The Orthodox Church is more open in Hong Kong. There are two churches there, one Greek and one Russian. There is also a small Orthodox community in Taiwan.

Orthodox Evenks

The Evenks are a group of people living in both Russia and China. Many Evenks are Orthodox Christians. They chose this faith themselves. There are about 3,000 Evenks in the Heilongjiang province of China. They are one of the few Asian groups who follow Orthodox Christianity.

See also

• Christianity in China
  • Timeline of Orthodoxy in China
  • Catholic Church in China
  • Protestantism in China
• Albazinians
• Oros Niru
• Amur Cossacks
• Harbin Russians
• Chinese characters for transcribing Slavonic