Islam in Hong Kong has a history of about two centuries and is currently a quite culturally significant religion in “Asia’s world city”. How did Islam first come to Hong Kong? What is life like for Muslims in Hong Kong? What are the challenges facing Hong Kong Muslims? This short article will attempt to answer these questions.
In the 19th century, Hong Kong was a British colony. There were a large number of military personnel and prison guards who came from India and were adherents of the religion of Islam. Their need for a place to conduct daily prayers in congregation led to the construction of the earliest mosques in Hong Kong, namely Jamia Mosque at Central and Stanley Mosque at Stanley prison. From the mid-19th century onwards, more and more soldiers and businessmen arrived in Hong Kong from South Asia and Mainland China. As the number of them increased, the British Hong Kong government allocated land for them to build their communities and facilities, such as mosques and cemeteries.
Chinese Muslims first arrived in Hong Kong in the late 19th and early 20th century, coming from southern Chinese coastal areas, where they had lived for centuries prior. They established their…
