A Walk Down History

Valerian Ho signs up for the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel’s guided walking tour of Tsim Sha Tsui’s cultural heritage.

- Valerian Ho

1 ROSARY CHURCH

Our first stop is the oldest Catholic church in Kowloon, built over a century ago to accommodate an influx of expatriate Roman Catholics.

Hong Kong became a British colony after the First Opium War in 1842, and increasing numbers of merchants and missionaries arrived following the cession of the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 by the Qing emperor. During the Boxer Uprising in 1900, several regiments of the British army were also stationed in Kowloon.

To serve the needs of the Catholic military and lay people, a small chapel was built on the site in 1901 for around 800 worshippers. But by 1903, it was clear that the site was too small. A timely donation from Portuguese Catholic Dr Anthony Gomes allowed for the construction of the Our Lady of Pompeii, Queen of the Rosary Church, which was completed in 1905. A small but attractive church, it’s Gothic in style but was originally based on a Roman basilica. The church was officially classified as a Grade I historic building in 2010. 125 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui; 

2 AUSTIN AND NATHAN ROADS