Chinese Christians forced to celebrate Christmas in secret
Members of illegal churches in China fear they face stronger crackdowns from the authorities as the government adopts a more nationalist tone
A group of Christians gathered in an apartment above a Beijing dental surgery on Christmas Eve, the atmosphere jubilant as a choir belted out carols, but the curtains had to remain tightly closed.
Unofficial Christian groups have long been subject to crackdowns, but the atmosphere appears to be worsening as their numbers increase and the governing Communist Party takes a more nationalist tone under President Xi Jinping.
Members of Shouwang, a Beijing Christian group who held the Christmas Eve service, have faced more trouble than most.
Several pastors from the group, which at its height boasted about 1,000 mainly middle class members, have been under house arrest since they tried to arrange Easter services in a public square in 2011.
Nonetheless there was a joyful atmosphere in the 12th storey apartment this Christmas where green and silver tinsel hung beside plastic snowflakes and several dozen worshippers joined in with Chinese versions of the traditional carols Away in a Manger and Noel, Noel.
“Things have got worse this year because the police started to detain us. I was detained for a week,” said Zhao Sheng, 54, musical organiser for the service.