LanZhou is an ancient city with long history and great culture, also known as an important town in the Silk Road, and the only capital city that the Yellow River crosses through. It's located in the land where Mid-land Han nation and northwest minority nations mingle, so it has nurtured a unique culture which mainly based on Han culture, yet infused multiple nations' and areas' culture since Qin dynasty.
Christianity was preached into LanZhou on modern time, and the biggest chapel around north-west area-ShanZiShi church sets in the northeast corner of the central square of LanZhou. It sits beside the Yellow River, next to the People's Government of GanSu Province, and became a shiny pearl of the city for its architectural style and cultural deposits.
ShanZiShi Christian chapel was once known as Gospel Church of China Inland Mission. In 1885 (GuangXu 11 of Qing dynasty), the British priest of Inland Mission Baghdaugh started building this chapel and preaching. He bought a land in Five Fountain Hill first, then 3 houses at the west side of the crossing between ZhangYe road and ShanZiShi road, altogether 5 acres, and he built over 80 rooms as the "Gospel Church of Inland Mission". In 1921 he invested more than 4000 silver dollars to build the ShanZiShi chapel at the original spot. The construction was completed in 1923 as a quadrangle with 2 entries containing a chapel in the middle. Later its name was changed to "ShanZiShi chapel" for the location.
Static shows that the chapel called up 245 believers in 1945, and the worshiping number went up to 6-7 hundred before New China officially founded. Due to the increasing of believers after the Revolution and Opening, its civil structure no longer met the need for gatherings. In the June of 1998, ShanZiShi chapel was rebuilt on the same location. The new chapel came into use in 2000. With over 5000 square meters floor area, and European architectural style, it can hold more than 2000 people to worship. It has over 4000 believers at the moment. Except two worships host at Sunday, one at Saturday, on weekdays it offers multiple pasturage modes.
