Introduction to the tour

Introduction

Diverse religious beliefs are non separable from an international spot with freedom of conscience. From a mixture of various beliefs, such as Buddhists, Catholics, Cofucians, Muslims and Protestants, about half of the Hong Kong population is religious1 . Discussing religious issues, architecture is never out of the topic. Churches are not only buildings, but architectures to host a body of believers. Reduction processes in modern churches made spaces for the transcendent experience, making them special from other types of buildings.

Apart from Buddhism and Taoism, Christianity has the largest group of believers in Hong Kong. Also, Christianity has the greatest number of places of worship, among major religions in Hong Kong. Yau Tsim Mong district acquires the major fraction, 167 places for Protestant worshippers, and 7

places to worship Catholic2 . With unique styles and at the walking tourists’ convenience, Truth Lutheran Church, Ward Methodist Church and St. Ignatius Chapel are chosen as sites.

Religious architecture is sacred and symbolic, thus, the choice of material must be precise. It is one of the most influential aspects that contribute to an architecture’s iconicity, as well as establishing a relationship between visual and structural quality in architecture. Removing ornamental elements, meaning that materials are chosen from the purpose of functionality, responding to concepts of “being modern”.

Notes

1. “Religion in Hong Kong,” InterNations. 2. Research Office Legislative Council Secretariat, “Sc.legco.gov.hk,” Fact Sheet - Religious facilities in Hong Kong.