·望海楼教堂

        天津教案,就是人们通常说的 “火烧望海楼” 。火烧的所谓望海楼,其实是指望海楼教堂,而非原来的望海楼。望海楼是天津古代著名建筑,又名海河楼。
        海河楼位于老三岔河口以北,香林苑以东。康熙初年,由天后宫道士李怡神及弟子王聪修建。乾隆元年在香林苑以西,又重修了望海寺; 乾隆五十三年将香林苑赐名崇禧观。这样,在老三岔河口以北的丁字交汇处,由东北至西南,依次建有望海楼、崇禧观、望海寺。望海楼为皇家园林,清皇帝巡视天津时,在望海寺、崇禧观行香后,到望海楼进茶膳、观河景。
        第二次鸦片战争后,法国依恃不平等条约,强占了三岔河口北岸的原清行宫故址望海楼和崇禧观,欲建为领事署。法国天主教认为,这里是最理想的传教地点。清咸丰十一年(1861)八月,传教士卫儒梅 (M.Talmier)来天津,与法领事德来沃向三口通商大臣崇厚交涉占用望海楼之事。同治元年(1862)正月初三,崇厚发给法国永租执照,准许租用三岔河口望海楼和崇禧观15亩地建盖天主教堂。同治五年(1866),传教士谢福音(C.Chevrrier)来津,主持拆除望海楼,修建教堂。同治八年(1869)四月五日,天主教堂破土动工,举行奠基典礼。北京教区法籍主教苏凤文(Guierry)专程来津,驻津各国领事、文武官员及天津地方要员应邀参加。十一月六日,教堂建成。高10米、宽10米、长30米,正面镶大理石匾,上刻法文金字“圣母得胜堂” ,俗称望海楼教堂。
        清同治九年(1870),津城屡有丢失幼儿事件。五月六日,三岔河口河东莹地,发现死儿尸体外露,有二三尸体共一棺者。群众纷传系法国仁慈堂虐待儿童致死,并向官府控告。五月八日,群众抓获拐卖儿童案犯张栓、郭拐二人,向天津县衙告发。五月十二日,天津知府张光藻和知县刘杰将张栓、郭拐正法。津民向张光藻献“万民伞”颂其功德。同日,天津北郊桃花口村群众,抓获拐犯武兰珍送县衙惩办。武兰珍招供,所拐幼儿是受天主教堂王三用洋元收卖唆使。
        五月二十三日上午11时,天津道周家勋和张光藻、刘杰,押武兰珍到望海楼教堂指证,未果押回。刘杰令教堂前群众各自散去。崇厚在通商衙门召见谢福音,言明今后仁慈堂教养儿童的人数应报告官府,病死儿童应报官亲验,并亲同掩埋。下午2时,群众与教士发生口角,抛掷砖石殴打。崇厚令刘杰派兵镇压。法国领事丰大业(H.V.Fontanier)带领随从到通商衙门见崇厚,并开枪威吓,砸毁器物。在返回教堂的路上,又向刘杰开枪,打伤其家人高升。在场群众怒不可遏,将丰大业及其随从殴毙。后鸣锣集聚数千人,愤怒的群众冲入教堂殴打谢福音,并一举将望海楼教堂、仁慈堂及东门外洋行1处,英、美讲书堂6处,全行烧毁,打死传教士及洋人20人。这就是震惊中外的“天津教案” 。
        教案发生后,外国侵略者极为惊恐,他们组织侨民武装,法国等国驻京公使,向清政府照会“抗议” ,要求严办。清廷将崇厚、周家勋、张光藻、刘杰4人,交刑部议处。接着,由直隶总督曾国藩到天津查办,滥捕80余名无辜群众;释放武兰珍等拐骗犯,修复被焚毁的建筑物。即使屈膝投降,侵略者仍然不满。清政府只得又命李鸿章为直隶总督,到天津接办此案,李鸿章将冯瘸子等16人斩首,4人缓刑; 知府张光藻、知县刘杰,被发配黑龙江; 判处25人流放和徒刑; 并赔偿法国白银46万两,俄、英、美各数万两。
        为了纪念这场斗争,人民创作了火烧望海楼的戏剧、电影、电视,还用诗歌、泥塑、木刻、版画、绘画、快板书等形式,褒扬天津人民的反帝爱国精神。
        After the Second Opium War,France occupiedWanghailou and built it into a consulate. The FrenchCatholic Church believed that Wanghailou was idealfor missionizing. In August 1861 (11th year of EmperorXianfeng),the preacher Talmier came to Tianjin. He andthe consulate-general negotiated with Chonghou aboutbuilding a church at Wanghailou. In 1862,Chonghouissued a permanent renting license which permittedFrance to rent 15 mu of Wanghailou and Chengxiguan tobuild a Catholic church. In 1866,Preacher Chevier tookcharge of the dismantling of Wanghailou for building thechurch in Tianjin. On May 5. 1869. the Catholic churchbroke earth after a ceremony. Guierry,the French bishopof Beijing parish,took a special trip to Tianjin. The otherattendees were consulate-generals and Qing officialsin Tianjin. On November 6,the church was finished. Itwas 10-metre high,10-metre wide,and 30-metre long. Amarble plaque was set in the front,which was engravedin French "Goddess Winning Church" or WanghailouChurch.
        In 1870,several infants were reported missing inTianjin. On May 6,residents in Tianjin found severalbodies of dead infants,even 2-3 bodies buried in thesame coffin at Sanchakou. It was said that the FrenchBeneficiary Hall maltreated children to death. On May 8,child abductors Zhang Shuan and Guo Guai were caughtand brought to Yamen of Tianjin County. On May 12,the district magistrate Zhang Guangzao and countymagistrate sentenced the two criminals to death. Tianjinpeople presented "People`s Umbrella" to the localofficials to express their appreciation. On the same day,villagers in Taohuakou Village caught another abductorWu Lanzhen and sent him to the county`s Yamen. Wuadmitted that he was abetted to abduct children byaccepting Wang San`s money from the Catholic church.
        At 11 am May 23,1870,officials including Zhou Jiaxun,Zhang Guanzao and Liu Jie took Wu Lanzhento the Wanghailou Church for indictment. ObeyingLiu Jie`s order,people surrounding the church weredismissed. Chong hou received Chevier at his Yamenand required him to report the number of childrenbred by the church,especially those dead,which mustbe examined by Qing officials. At 14:00 pm,Tianjinpeople quarreled with the preachers and attacked themby stones. Chonghou ordered Liu Jie to lead soldiers tosquash the turbulence. French Consulate Fontanier andhis followers rushed into Chonghou`s Yamen,fired formenace and smashed wares. On his way to the church,he fired at Liu Jie and wounded Gao Sheng,Liu`sservant. Tianjin people were so angry that they hit Fontanier and his followers to death. Later the masses of people burned Wanghailou Church,BeneficiaryHall and a foreign bank at Dongmenwai,six Britishor American preaching halls,and killed 20 preachersor foreigners. This is the famous "Tianjin ChurchIncident".
        The foreign invaders were startled by theincident. They organized overseas citizens and theFrench and other ambassador in Beijing to protesttowards the Qing Government. They also demanded topunish officials,such as Chonghou,Zhou Jiaxun,ZhangGuangzao and Liu Jie. After that,Governor-General ofZhili Zeng Guofan was dispatched to Tianjin to kill morethan 80 innocent local people. All the abductors werereleased and the destroyed constructions were renovated.The invaders were still not satisfied with the measuresadopted by the Qing Government. The royal court had tonominate Li Hongzhang as Governor-General of Zhili.Li executed 16 people and punished 25 others. He alsocompensated 460,000 taels to French Government anddozens of thousands taels to Russia,Britain and theUnited States respectively.
        To commemorate the event,Tianjin peoplecreated dramas,movies,and TV series on theburning of Wanghailou Church. Some other works,such as poems,mud and wood sculptures as wellas drawings were also made to praise the antiimperialism among the Tianjin people.

        

·望海楼教堂