Divine Liturgy in Beijing

(Orthodoxy in China) The Liturgy according to the Orthodox rite was served today with the permission of city authorities in Beijing's [Roman] Catholic church of the Archangel Michael. It was attended by Russian athletes, athletes of Orthodox confession from other countries, representatives of Russia's Olympic team leadership, and Chinese Orthodox residing in Beijing.

The Liturgy was served by Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov and Archpriest Dionisy Pozdnyaev who were sent by the Moscow Patriarchate to Olympiad-2008 to spiritually nurture Orthodox athletes.

At one time the Russian Orthodox Spiritual Mission was located in Beijing and several Orthodox churches operated, but they were dismantled during the construction of the USSR Embassy in the 1950s.

The current Orthodox community unites descendants of the Albazinians, Russian cossacks who were in the Chinese capital in 1685 and who served in the Eighth Banner of the Qing imperial house.