Cultural Diversity

One of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia, Hong Kong is a culturally diverse metropolis, a heady mix of East and West where old heritage buildings line up against sleek skyscrapers, and English, Cantonese, and Mandarin are widely spoken by its ethnically diverse population.

The city is also home to people of many different religious persuasions. Locals flock to temples, including Wong Tai Sin, Central’s Man Mo, and the Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, to pray and light incense, pay respects to their ancestors, and ward off bad luck. One of the most impressive temples is the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, which features more than 13,000 Buddha statues in Sha Tin.

There are many churches in the city, the largest being St. John’s Cathedral, which hosts nine services on Saturdays and Sundays. Over in Tsim Sha Tsui, there’s the Gothic-style Rosary Church and Anglican church St. Andrew’s, the oldest English-speaking Protestant church in Kowloon.

The largest mosque in Hong Kong is the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre, which holds five prayers daily. Others include the Jamia Mosque in Mid-Levels, dating back to the 1840s, and the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple in Wan Chai. The city’s primary Jewish centre is the Ohel Leah Synagogue, which is housed in a Grade I listed historic building.