On January 17, Hecheng Church in Gaoming District, Foshan, Guangdong Province, unveiled the Liang Fa Memorial Hall, which serves as a tribute to the first ordained Chinese Protestant pastor and a pioneer of modern Chinese journalism.
The ceremony was held alongside the dedication of the church's new sanctuary, according to Guangdong CC&TSPM. Located on the third floor of the new building, the hall spans five chapters, using photographs, artifacts, and multimedia to chronicle Liang's life and his monumental contributions to China.
Born into a poor farming family in 1789, Liang Fa left his hometown at the age of 15 to apprentice in printing and engraving in Guangzhou. In 1810, a providential encounter changed his life: Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China, brought his Chinese translation of the Acts of the Apostles to Liang's workshop for printing.
While typesetting the Scriptures, Liang was deeply moved by the Gospel. He formed a profound friendship with Morrison and his colleague William Milne, eventually receiving baptism in Malacca in 1816.
Liang was also a pioneer of modern Chinese journalism. During his time in Southeast Asia, he assisted Milne's Monthly Chinese Magazine and created The Monthly Total Record of the Inspection of the Worldly Customs, one of the first Chinese magazines. As one of its editors, he used his skills in calligraphy and woodblock printing to introduce Western science, geography, and political systems to China. For these efforts, scholars honor him as the "Father of Modern Chinese Journalism," and Malaysian official records recognize him as the first Chinese reporter.
In 1823, after assisting with the publication of the first complete Chinese Bible translation by Robert Morrison and William Milne, Liang was ordained as the first Chinese Protestant pastor. Upon returning to China, he dedicated his life to education and literature, founding a private school in his hometown to teach English and modern science alongside the Gospel. His most famous work, Good Words to Admonish the Age, remains one of the most influential publications in the history of Chinese Christianity. Liang died in 1855.
During the dedication ceremony of Hecheng Church, Rev. Wang Hao, deputy director of Guangdong CC&TSPM, delivered a sermon titled "The Light of Hecheng." He exhorted the congregation to use the new church as a beacon to be "salt and light," blessing society and glorifying God.
Rev. Wang Xiangyang, senior pastor of Hecheng Church, reflected on the two-and-a-half-year journey of reconstruction, expressing gratitude for the providence that made the new sanctuary and memorial hall a reality. The event was attended by over 700 guests, including pastors, believers, and local representatives from Foshan and neighboring cities.
