Sanjiang Church

{{Short description|Chinese church}}

{{Coord|28.04694|N|120.69170|E|display=title}}

Sanjiang Church (三江基督教堂) was a Christian church located in Yongjia County, near Wenzhou, in Zhejiang Province, China.[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/world/asia/church-state-clash-in-china-coalesces-around-a-toppled-spire.html Church-State Clash in China Coalesces Around a Toppled Spire] May 29, 2014 NYT The church was completed in December 2013.{{cite web|url=http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/faithful-rush-to-protect-church-with-a-cross-deemed-too-tall/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0|title=Faithful Rush to Protect Church With a Cross Deemed Too Tall|author=Mia Li|date=2014-04-04|accessdate=2014-04-05}} The city of Wenzhou is a port city believed to have China's largest Christian community. Local Christians claim as many as 15 percent of the residents Christians with the majority being Protestant. British missionaries George and Grace Stott had set up churches in this area towards the end of the 19th century.

The Sanjiang Church was completed in 2013 after almost six years and after local Christians pooled together between 3.2 and 4.9 million US dollars (20-30 million yuan) for the construction costs.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10745248/Christians-form-human-shield-around-church-in-Chinas-Jerusalem-after-demolition-threat.html|title=Christians form human shield around church in 'China's Jerusalem' after demolition threat|author=Tom Phillips|date=2014-04-04|accessdate=2014-04-05}} The building was large enough to hold up to 2,000 people with the church complex occupying more than 100,000 square feet of land. The church had been registered with the government authorities. The demolition was preceded by a petition by local believers of the Chinese folk faith accusing the church to disrupt the area's feng shui (cosmic harmony), highlighting the tensions between indigenous religious groups and Christianity.[http://ihtbd.com/ihtuser/print/old%20THT/30-05-2014/a3005x04xxxxxxxxx.pdf Razing of church stuns Christians in China]. On International New York Times, Friday, May 30, 2014.