Have your say and vote for your favorite in our global Facebook poll.
Shanghai church tour
Top five places to chart Shanghai's diverse religious history and hear Chinese Christmas carols
As one of the earliest Chinese ports opened to international trading, Shanghai enjoys a rich combination of religious heritage. The city is home to more than 160 churches, scattered between modern highways and towering skyscrapers.
Follow these five churches to trace Shanghai’s religious past or join one of them to celebrate the upcoming Christmas.
In accordance with Chinese government regulations, most English services at Shanghai's churches are open to foreign passport holders or foreign residence permit holders only.
Chinese nationals are welcome to attend special Chinese services, but it's best to double-check with each church.
1. St. Ignatius Cathedral (徐家汇天主教堂)
Shanghai's most famous cathedral, St. Ignatius.
More commonly known as the Xujiahui Cathedral, St. Ignatius is Shanghai's most famous cathedral.
It was built by the Jesuits who have had a presence here from as early as 1608. The current structure dates back to 1910.
The Xujiahui landmark can hold a congregation of 2,500 and was recently restored to include Chinese characters and iconography (for example, stained glass windows portray a phoenix to represent the resurrection).
The plaza in front of the majestic edifice is also a hot spot for local couples to snap their wedding photos.
Christmas Eve Service: Saturday, December 24, 5 p.m.
Christmas Day Service: Sunday, December 25, 6 a.m.
More on CNNGo: Xu Guangqi: Shanghai's unlikely Jesuit
158 Puxi Lu, near Nandan Lu 蒲西路158号徐家汇天主教堂, 近漕溪北路, +86 21 6438 2595
2. Sacred Heart of Jesus (耶稣圣心堂)
Although the current building was erected 2003, the original Sacred Heart of Jesus was one of the earliest churches in Pudong.
Situated in an expat community, The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the oldest churches east of the Huangpu River, and dates back to 1744.
The original structure in Zhangjia village was demolished in the late 1990s and the church was rebuilt on the current site in Jinqiao in 2003.
The neighborhood church is a vibrant and diverse Catholic parish servicing Shanghai's Pudong area.
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and there is a packed calendar of services over the Christmas and New Year period.
Midnight Mass: Saturday, December 24, 8:30 p.m.
Christmas Day Mass: Sunday, December 25, 10:30 a.m.
The Feast of the Holy Family: Saturday, December 31, 5 p.m.
The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God: Sunday, January 1, 10:30 a.m.
More on CNNGo: Finding your Z-spot in Shanghai
151 Hong Feng Lu, near Biyun Lu, Pudong 红枫路151号, 近碧云路, www.sacredheartpudong.com
3. St. Francis Xavier Church (董家渡天主堂)
St. Francis Xavier Church is a government-sanctioned historical site.
This white Bund-side Catholic basilica was built in the late Qing Dynasty in 1847, and became the seat of the Bishop of Shanghai in 1946.
It was China’s first Catholic Church to hold more than 2,000 people.
The church is a replica of the Chiesa del Gesú (Church of the Holy Name of Jesus) in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus.
The bas-relief on the upper sections of the walls use traditional Chinese patterns: lotus blossoms, cranes, calabashes, swords, and double-coins.
Christmas Eve Mass: Saturday, December 24, 7 p.m.
Christmas Day Mass: Sunday, December 25, 8 a.m.
More on CNNGo: Old Shanghai's disappearing corners: The Old Docks
185 Dongjiadu Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu 董家渡路185号, 近中山南路, +86 21 6378 7058, www.sfx.internationalparish.org
4. Shanghai Community Fellowship (上海国际礼拜堂)
Shanghai Community Fellowship is located in the city's foreign consular quarter.
Legend has it that it was funded and built by American expatriates in Shanghai in 1925.
This multi-denominational Christian community is a welcoming and popular choice for Mass, with members from more than 60 countries throughout the world.
Every year the church holds a lively Christmas service complete with music and the nativity story.
Communion Service: Saturday, December 24, 10:30 a.m.
Christmas Sunday Service: Sunday, December 25, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Praise and Worship: Saturday, December 31, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.
More on CNNGo: Shanghai's most literary locales
53 Hengshan Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu 衡山路 53号, 近乌鲁木齐路, www.shanghaifellowship.org
5. Moore Memorial Church (沐恩堂)
Anyone who has been to Shanghai’s chaotic People’s Square will remember this church.
Squeezed between two lofty high rises, Raffles City and Le Royal Méridien Hotel, Moore Memorial is Shanghai’s most centrally located church.
Also known as Mu En Tang, the original church was established in 1887 by American missionaries and then rebuilt in 1931 by Shanghai's most famous Hungarian architect, László Hudec.
It seats more than 1,000 and, although it was originally Shanghai's Methodist church, Moore Memorial is now a nondenominational Christian church serving a community of thousands.
Christmas Eve service: Saturday, December 24, 7 p.m.
Christmas Day services: Sunday, December 25, 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
More on CNNGo: What does Christmas mean to you?
316 Xizang Zhong Lu, near Jiujiang Lu 西藏中路316号, 近九江路, +86 21 6322 5069
