Shanghai Daily News

If you have got caught up in the mania surrounding the film release of "The Da Vinci Code" and are looking for spiritual enlightenment, Zhabei provides an ideal destination for its many churches in the district. This week's guidebook offers a few suggestions on churches to visit, plus a few places to relax and eat in the area.

Zhabei Church

At more than 100 years, Zhabei Church is one of the oldest places of worship for the Christian religion in Shanghai.

In the late 19th century when an increasing number of foreigners settling in Shanghai, it was evident that with the growing Christian community a church was needed as a place of worship and as a center to spread their beliefs.

In 1888, the Zhabei Church was completed with the help of American John Marshall Willoughby Farnham. Its advent marked the first public church opened in the northern district.

Over the years before the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the church endured many volatile periods, especially during the war years. It was bombed and destroyed three times by the invading Japanese Army and was rebuilt with donations in 1947. Upon its completion, the church could hold a congregation of about 400 people.

Today, the five-story structure is a popular place for worship and for holding various functions.

The building has three main halls with a seating capacity of 1,000 in total. Prayer meetings are held on Tuesday while Bible study is on Wednesday. Friday when the church's youth group meets has become the most popular meeting away from the regular Sunday services.

There are also three rooms to accommodate children for playing games and as a rest area. The library and meeting rooms are open to the public.

History is not forgotten here as the old church site is located in the back of the current structure. The remnants of the old building with its burnt wooden window frames and a destroyed wall provide a subtle reminder of its volatile past.

Sundays are a more joyous occasion as more than 2,000 people congregate to sing hymns and listen to the sermons. The large gathering easily makes it the most popular church in the district.

Address: 340 Baotong Road

Tel: 5662-9409

Hours: 8:30am-3:30pm

Spiritual Church

The Spiritual Church, built as a branch of the Zhabei Church in 1995, is located in the northern part of the district.

The striking building was constructed in a Gothic style with a pointed roof and red-brick walls. A cross-shaped ridge, rose-patterned windows, chromatic glass and a painting depicting  "Jesus is a good shepherd" showcases the structure's solemn and sacred character.

The church consists of two main halls. The biggest one, with a seating capacity for more than 1,000, has a ceiling about 21 meters in height and spanning about 18 meters.

The church estimated that the Christian population in the district had grown to more than 8,000 in the past 10 years.

Address: 1555 Linfen Road

Tel: 5641-0073

Hours: 8:30am-10:30am, 2pm-3:30pm

Zhabei Park

Zhabei Park, built in 1914, was formerly known as Song Park or Jiaoren Park. It is at this park where revolutionary Song Jiaoren (1882-1913) was buried after his death.

Song was a democratic revolutionary pioneer and one of the founders of Hua Xing Hui, Tung Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary League) and the Kuomintang.

The park is also a very informative place for learning about tea culture as since 1994 it has been the host venue for nine sessions of the International Tea Culture Festival.

As the first national park dedicated to tea, the whole site is an oasis of  green trees with 20 special displays relevant to tea featured. The displays depict cultural scenic spots associated with tea and show the various kinds of tea trees. The long history of tea is also chronicled.

With the recent completion of the Gonghexinlu Elevated Road, the park is easily recognized via the giant golden tea pot at its gate.

Address: 1555 Gonghexin Road

Tel: 5633-4565

Hours: 5:30am to 5pm

Admission: Free

Shuyou Seafood           Restaurant

If you are looking for a spot to relax and eat during your visit to Zhabei, Shuyou Seafood Restaurant is an ideal destination.

The Xiamen-based chain flies in about 1,000 kilos of seafood twice daily from southern China's Fujian Province. The bountiful harvest features more than 200 types of seafood that are prepared in the distinctive light cooking style found in Xiamen.

The restaurant's manager Li Qingzhong said the seafood's quality was of the utmost importance and that the catch was regularly tested following the one-hour flight from Xiamen.

The restaurant's recommended dishes include fried crab, Xiamen noodles and boiled fish in hot sauce.

Address: 437 Luochuan Road

Tel: 5638-8888, 5638-8198

Price: 100 yuan (US$12.5) to 150 yuan per person

Hours: 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-10:30pm

Heji Restaurant

Heji Restaurant is a Zhabei institution featuring Shanghai and Guangdong dishes.

Manager Sun Ciqing said the goal of the restaurant was to provide healthy dishes. To achieve this, condiments such as salt, oil and monosodium glutamate are used as sparingly as possible. Chicken soup is boiled over a long period and the broth is used by the chefs to create many of the other nutritious dishes. Recommended dishes include the smoked fish, braised pork with onion juice and fried crab meat with vegetables and noodles.

Address: 1098 Zhongxing Road

Tel: 5690-1008, 5690-1018

Price: 100 yuan per person

Hours: 10am-9pm