Discovering the True Meaning of Christmas

Words by Marlene
Translated by Naomi Lai

"Hark the Herald Angels sing..." As another year draws to an end and December is filled with the festive, sentimental sights, sounds and smells of Christmas, it's a good time to step back from all the commercialization and return to the original meaning and roots of this important day. Whether you're a regular or occasional church-goer, or have never stepped inside a sanctuary before, Taichung's churches are offering a wide range of ways--from candlelight services to Christmas carol singing--to celebrate Christmas the traditional way.

The chapel's unique and
beautiful design attracts many
local and foreign tourists.

Luce Memorial Chapel

Luce Memorial Chapel, located on Tunghai University's scenic campus, is one of Taichung's most famous churches, being an early work by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei. For the past 20-plus consecutive years, this uniquely-shaped structure has been the venue for popular bell-ringing and Christmas caroling events every Christmas Eve. This year, an additional "Santa Claus Is Not Coming To Town" Art Festival will be hosted at Tunghai University from Dec. 14 to 24. This event will showcase creative Christmas-related design works by university students. A Christmas Eve service will be held at the chapel from 8 p.m. on Dec. 24 and there will also be an outdoor musical appreciation activity. Public transportation is advised for people thinking of attending.

181, Taichung Port Rd (Tunghai University)
(04) 2359-0226
Silent prayers: Weekdays 8:10 -11 am, 5-7 pm (closed when church has activities)
Sunday services: 8:30 am & 12:15 pm (divided into three sections)
Provides Chinese/English worship.
chaplain.thu.edu.tw

The designs for the Tunghai University campus and Luce Memorial Chapel were done by famous architect Chen Chi-kuan and supervising
architect I. M. Pei.

Exterior of small chapel.

Liu-Yuan Church (Taiwan Presbyterian Church)

Liu-Yuan Church was established in 1901 and its smaller chapel was constructed in 1916. Its exterior walls are built with red bricks from Qingshui in Taichung county. On the left and right sides of the front gate are Latin-style cross carvings and all windows and doors are arch-shaped. This building is a delicate mixture of Eastern and Western architectural elements. With nearly a century of history, the building is now used by the church as a museum, hosting various exhibitions on the first floor and displaying a collection of church-related artifacts on the second floor. A larger European-style chapel was built next to the small chapel in 1965 and is currently used for church services. This year the church will be holding various Chinese language Christmas events, including the lighting of the Christmas lights, Christmas services, coffee and music, and Christmas carol singing.

119, XingZhong St
(04) 2222-2749
http://www.liuyuan.org.tw/

Left: Exterior of large chapel.
Right: The European-style interior of the large chapel.

Left: The church's pipe organ--a rarity in Taichung.
Right: The small chapel's interior has pillars and a ceiling made with wood from Alishan, enhanced with a steel frame.

St. james Episcopal Church

Teachers and students
practicing their Christmas
dances.

St. James Episcopal Church

St. James' Church, established in 1970, provides a variety of church services, a preschool (kindergarten), community services, consultations and a language center, all in one. This helps the church better integrate itself into the daily lives of local residents and the surrounding community. This Christmas, St. James will be holding many different English/Chinese activities for the public to participate in, as follows:
Date Activity Location
12/11 (Sat), 2 pm Christmas Party-Children's Musical Fengle Sculpture Park Auditorium
12/18 (Sat), 3 pm Taiko Performance Taichung Green Parkway
12/24 (Fri) evening Christmas Service St. James' Church
12/25 (Sat), 10 am-12 pm Community Talent Show-Charity Donation St. James' Church

23, WuQuan W Rd, Sec 1
(04) 2372-2752
Provides Chinese/English worship.
Http://blog.yam.com/stjames

Left: Exterior of St. James Church.
Right: Butterfly Ecology Area.

The church's interior is simply
decorated with open space and
comforting, mild colors.

From the outside, the church
has a historic look to it.

Chung Hsiao Church

Chung Hsiao Church is the third-oldest church in Taichung. Since it's establishment in 1957, it has provided various community services, such as classes and care for the elderly, English classes, community care activities, life-education classes, and after-school tutoring for disadvantaged children. These avenues of outreach have made the church an important part of the community over the years. This year, Chung Hsiao Church has prepared many exciting public activities in celebration of Christmas:

12/12 (Sun), 8:20 am, 9:30 am, 11 am
Christmas Musical "The Perfect Present" at Chung Hsiao Church
12/24 (Fri), 7:30-10 pm
Christmas Eve Charity Event at New Taichung City Hall, with Taichung City Church Development and Strategy Alliance, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and the Taichung City Government, fund-raising for minority families.
12/25 (Sat), 6:30-9:20 pm
2010 Christmas Dinner at Chung Hsiao Church

288, ZhongXiao Rd
(04) 2281-4752
http://chung-hsiao.blogspot.com/

CCT office

CCT currently holds its Sunday
services and other events at
Morrison Academy, Taichung's
largest American school.

Community Church of Taichung

This history of Community Church of Taichung (CCT) dates back to its start as an American military chapel and it has remained one of the only all-English-speaking churches in the city, meeting each Sunday at Morrison Academy. The majority of its members are foreigners or returning Taiwanese here for work or residency. Between Nov. 28 to Dec. 25, the church will be holding Advent candle-lighting services every Sunday morning, together with singing and sermons about the coming of Christ and the meaning of Christmas. A "Christmas Carols with Candlelight" event will be hosted outside of Morrison Academy from 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 24 to share the warmth of the Christmas holiday with friends and families.

489, ChongDe 10th Rd, Sec 1 (CCT office)
Regular services meet at: 136-1, ShuiNan Rd (Morrison Academy)
(04) 2422-9360
http://cct-taiwan.org/

Chruch statues

Statue of Our Lady and the
bell tower.

Geometric light patterns
shining through the windows.

Our Lady of Fatima Church

Every time you travel along ShuangShi Road, you will pass by the beautiful white architecture of this church with its stained glass windows. Our Lady of Fatima Church was built in 2001 by a congregation established in 1965. Its exterior fuses Gothic and modern elements with various layered arches, towers and geometric windows. As the light shines into the building, it casts striking shadows and patterns into the sanctuary. This year's Christmas event will be held by the Catholic Taichung Diocese and the Taichung City Government at the Fulfillment Amphitheater and the New Taichung City Hall Plaza.

115, ShuangShi Rd, Sec 2
(04) 2233-5950
Weekday Mass: 6:45 am
Weekend Mass: Sat. at 7:30 pm, Sun. at 7:30 am & 9:30 pm
www.catholic.org.tw/fatima1010/

Left: The church's stately appearance.
Right: Gothic archiecture with various towers.