Hong Kong China Temple

The Hong Kong China Temple is the 48th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Church of Jesus Christ in Hong Kong has changed drastically since the first missionaries arrived to preach the Gospel in 1853. In 1960 there were 91 full-time foreign and 12 full-time local Latter-day Saint missionaries preaching the Gospel in Hong Kong.[1]

On 3 October 1992, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 to 2008, announced that there would be a Latter-day Saint temple in Hong Kong. However, finding a place on which to build proved difficult. Church leaders considered numerous temple sites but were unsatisfied with all. One obstacle was the high cost of real estate. Finally, the inspiration came to have the temple built on the site of the mission home and chapel.

Because of the situation of Hong Kong city, the temple had to be 'built up' instead of 'spreading out' to build. It was the scarcity of space in that crowded land that contributes to the unique design of the Hong Kong Temple. The six-story building is designed to house, not only the temple, but also a chapel, mission offices, and living quarters for the temple president and several missionaries.[2]

The temple design came to President Hinckley during a visit to the area in 1991. He and two General Authorities, Elders Monte J. Brough and John K. Carmack of the Seventy reviewed potential sites but could not settle on one. After an exhausting day, they retired to bed for the night. Early the next morning President Hinckley called the leaders together to show a non-traditional temple structure. This is the temple that was ultimately built and dedicated by President Hinckley. You can read the story behind the temple from Elders Monte J. Brough and John K. Carmack of the Seventy.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held and the temple site was dedicated on 22 January 1994 by Elder John K. Carmack of the Seventy. A public open house was held 7–21 May 1996, and the dedication of the Hong Kong China Temple took place on 26-27 May 1996 by President Hinckley. Many who attended the temple open house were impressed that amid the traffic and confusion of such a busy city there is such peace and tranquility found so easily inside the temple.

Hong Kong China Temple Location

The Hong Kong China Temple is located in the quiet residential district of Kowloon Tong, a suburb of Hong Kong on the Kowloon Peninsula. The striking edifice, characterized by Hong Kong colonial architecture, features high arching windows, ornamented walls, and a gold dome supporting the single spire and the gold-leafed Angel Moroni statue. Across the street from the temple is a three-story Church facility housing a meetinghouse, mission offices, housing facilities, and a distribution center.

The temple serves Latter-day Saints in China, Singapore, Mongolia and other Asian countries. It has a total of 21,744 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.

Facts about the Hong Kong China Temple

The Hong Kong China Temple was the second temple built in mainland Asia, following the Seoul Korea Temple (1985), and the first built in China.

The Hong Kong China Temple was the first multipurpose temple built by the Church, as envisioned and sketched by President Gordon B. Hinckley in the nighttime hours following a pleading prayer for inspiration.

The Hong Kong China Temple was originally named the Hong Kong Temple.

Elder David O. McKay of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated China for the preaching of the gospel on 9 January 1921, within the walls of the "Forbidden City" in Beijing.

Elder Matthew Cowley, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Chinese native Henry Aki officially opened missionary work in Hong Kong by prayer on 14 July 1949, from the Peak—the highest point overlooking the city of Hong Kong.

The Kowloon Tong chapel, Hong Kong mission home, and Hong Kong mission office, which stood on side-by-side lots, were all razed to make way for the Hong Kong China Temple. The temple and Church facilities across the street provided replacements for all these buildings.

Elder John K. Carmack of the Seventy presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hong Kong China Temple. Invited to attend were Hong Kong stake and ward leaders, their wives, and invited guests.

The Angel Moroni statue was added to the spire of the Hong Kong China Temple on 12 December 1995. Several hundred spectators gathered to witness the Moroni raising.

During its public open house, over 13,000 people toured the interior of the Hong Kong China Temple, including over 500 VIP guests and 25 ministers of other faiths.

The Hong Kong China Temple was dedicated in seven sessions over two days. President Gordon B. Hinckley, who dedicated the temple, had participated in the dedication or rededication of all but five of the Church's operating temples.

Hong Kong was under British rule at the time the Hong Kong China Temple was dedicated, but sovereignty was transferred to China just over a year later on 1 July 1997.

Following the dedication of the Hong Kong China Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley became the first president of the Church to visit mainland China when he arrived in Shenzhen—a "sister cultural city" of the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii.

A replacement Angel Moroni statue was hoisted atop the Hong Kong China Temple on 5 August 2016, just over 20 years following the dedication.

The Hong Kong Temple Closes for Renovations

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the closure of the Hong Kong China Temple for extensive renovation effective 8 July 2019.

The five-story temple’s exterior stone will be replaced, and some of the windows will be reworked. Additionally, the rooms will be reconfigured to create a better patron experience. This includes renovating one of the floors that was used as a meetinghouse and incorporating it into the temple experience.

Workers will also take steps to strengthen the building against water and moisture. New art glass will be installed – adhering to the oriental design familiar to temple visitors – and new pieces of artwork and furniture will be added. The exterior landscaping and grounds will also be refreshed. The temple’s existing steeple will be removed.[1]

Elder Gong with the Hong Kong China Temple presidency. Courtesy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints newsroom

The Hong Kong China Temple Is Rededicated

After the renovation, which began in 2019, the Hong Kong China Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was rededicated on Sunday, 19 June 2022, by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Church members in the Hong Kong Temple district participated in person and by broadcast, rejoicing that the temple is ready to welcome members again.

Alan Cheung, a local leader, said, "Temples help members better understand the purpose of life, encourage them to be more faithful, generous and kind, and give them strength to meet challenges in life."

Polly Fong, a member of the Church in Hong Kong, and the mother of three young children shared, "Temple worship brings us closer together as a family. My husband [Vincent] and I look forward to being able to attend the temple again soon. This helps us be better spouses and parents."

AC Ho, a Church member from Singapore, said, "The most important thing in my life is my family. I make and keep covenants in the temple so that my family and I can live forever together in my Heavenly Father's kingdom."

And Supaporn Putiya, a Church member in Thailand, said, "The temple helps me to focus on spiritual instead of worldly things." She attended the temple for the first time in April 2018 and had a wonderful experience that she says helped her draw closer to Heavenly Father and her family.

In compliance with local COVID protocols, in-person attendance at the rededication was limited. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who presided at the services, said, "This beautiful Hong Kong Temple invites us in this Asia area to draw closer to our Savior Jesus Christ, build daily our spiritual foundation, and bless our family generations."