The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nineteenth‑Century Hong Kong

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong was built in a Western architectural style at a time—the second half of the nineteenth century—when the Catholic Church was firmly led by European missionaries. Yet behind this European façade lies a different story, one of extensive Chinese planning, labor, and devotion, which until now has remained largely concealed. The indigenization of the Church was fully materialized only with the construction of the Regional Seminary for South China, a Sinicized complex designed by Fr Adelbert Gresnigt in 1927, just one year after the consecration of the first six Chinese bishops in Rome. Nevertheless, Chinese converts and workers had played an integral role in shaping the Catholic Church in Hong Kong since its foundation in the early 1840s. This chapter brings their under-acknowledged agency to the fore, showing that the building site of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was a locus of cross-cultural interaction even at the time of missions. Recent renovations, including the re-decoration and re-dedication of the Evangelization and Chinese Martyrs’ Chapels and the addition of an imposing suspended crucifix have made this history visible and foregrounded the rise of Chinese leadership in the Catholic Church, amplifying the cathedral’s transcultural story and universal significance.