St. Paul's Church Qingdao, Gothic Revival church in Shinan District, China

St. Paul's Church is a Romanesque-style red-brick church built in 1940–1941 on the north slope of Guanxiang Hill. Its L-shaped plan holds two halls and a 24-metre bell tower with 60 steps; the exterior corners carry Lombard bands, rows of small arches typical of Romanesque churches. The walls enclose 1,482 square metres and seat over 300 worshippers.

The site began in 1909 as the Christliches Soldatenheim, a hostel built by the German Lutheran mission for Protestant German soldiers. After 1914 it became the Deutsches Heim, a social centre for Qingdao's German community. In 1936 the Germans sold it to the American Lutheran mission, which converted it into a church. In 1940 the Lüdong Lutheran Church rebuilt it as St. Paul's, designed by Wladimir Yourieff and Johannes Prip-Møller, and it opened in 1941.

The church combines German architectural traditions with local construction methods, reflecting the cross-cultural exchange that took place during the colonial period in Qingdao. Visitors walking through the interior can see how European design choices were adapted to the local setting and climate.

The building welcomes visitors to explore its interior during designated times, and regular services are held throughout the week. Check ahead for opening times to plan your visit and avoid times when private services may be taking place.

The bell in the 24-metre tower is not the one made for it: it is a German cast-steel bell of 1888, cast at Bochumer Verein, brought to Qingdao in the 1920s and donated by an American Chinese. Lost during the Cultural Revolution, it was found in 2007 at a factory in Liaocheng and bought back at auction in 2009 for 44,000 yuan.