St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong

Of the few cathedrals in Hong Kong, the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Evangelist – commonly known as Saint John’s Cathedral – is the oldest. Like Holy Trinity Cathedral and All Saints’ Cathedral, Saint John’s is Anglican. Completed in 1849 and consecrated in 1852, it is not only the oldest cathedral in Hong Kong but also the oldest Anglican church in the Far East.

Designed in the English Gothic Revival style, the cathedral is built from stucco and wood, with a simple cross-shaped plan and an understated, early English–inspired interior that contrasts with the surrounding skyscrapers. Inside, memorial tablets, stained-glass windows and a prominent chancel recall its long role as the main Anglican church for the city. Today it serves as the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Hong Kong Island and the mother church of the Province of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.

The building has also lived through some of Hong Kong’s hardest moments. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Saint John’s was turned into a club for Japanese forces, and many original fittings – including stained glass designed by William Morris’s firm – were stripped out. After the war, services resumed and the cathedral was gradually restored; in 1996 it was declared a monument, recognizing its importance as the oldest surviving Western ecclesiastical building in Hong Kong.

Visitors are welcome to attend services at Saint John’s. The cathedral now holds multiple services across Saturdays and Sundays, with a quieter lunchtime meditation on Mondays that offers a brief pause in the middle of the working week. Wednesday lunchtime performances are often held here, and there is also a small cafe on the cathedral grounds, The Nest, serving drinks and light snacks.