ST JOHN'S CATHEDRAL, St John's Cathedral

Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: St John’s Cathedral.

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Evangelist in Hong Kong was declared a historical monument in 1996, not so much for its artistic and architectural importance as for the fact it is the oldest Western church built in Hong Kong, and the only one of the period to have survived the Second World War.

Let’s take a look at its history. The cathedral, inaugurated in 1849, was initially designed in Neo-Gothic style, but the simpler Norman style was subsequently chosen, principally for financial reasons. At that time, this church was three times more expensive to build than other religious buildings erected in the colonial empire.

The cathedral remained open for worship until December 1941, when Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese who used the building as a meeting place. After four years, despite the damage suffered, the cathedral was repaired and reopened to worshippers. The main portal was completely rebuilt, using the timber from a British military ship, the HMS Tamar, destroyed during the war at Victoria Harbor....