On August 30 in the city of Labdarin (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) the Church of St. Innocent of Irkutsk was consecrated. The temple was built in 1990 (during the "Cultural Revolution" 18 Orthodox churches were demolished in this region of China).
Parishioners of the church in the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church are descendants of Russians who began to inhabit this remote region of China. The church of St. Innocent of Irkutsk is one of four that has an official status in China.
Since the temple does not have clergy, the consecration was performed by Fr. Mikhail Wang, a priest from Shanghai.
The Russian Orthodox Church's Diocese of Chita and Transbaikal which, by decision of the Holy Synod, has the burden or responsibility for this parish, presented it with an iconostasis, utensils and liturgical vestments.
Archpriest Dionisy Pozdnyaev who is in charge of Hong Kong's church of SS Peter and Paul took part in the consecration. Orthodox faithful from Hailar, Harbin, Shanghai, Beijing and the Russian villages of Tryokhrechye [3 Rivers] also came for the church consecration.
After the service, Archpriest Dionisy Pozdnyaev held talks with Ms Wang Yanming, from the 4th Department of State Administration for Religious Affairs, who attended ceremony.