The Hong Kong China Temple is situated at 2 Cornwell Street, Kowloon Tong at the foot of the Lion Rock. The entire temple ground occupies an area of 4,830 square feet. It stands at 41.5 metres tall and has eight storeys with the bottom two under the ground. The ground floor accommodates the lobby of the temple. The second floor is the chapel for the Sham Shui Po Ward. The third floor is the Mission Office. The fourth floor has a locker room and the clothes rental section. The celestial room and endowment rooms occupy the fifth floor and the sealing room is on the sixth floor. At the top of the spire, there is a golden-coloured, eight-metre tall statue of the Angel Moroni standing on a round pillar 24 metres tall. The baptismal font is located in the basement.

With its unique construction and special design, the Hong Kong China Temple has stood out as a one-of-a-kind building in Hong Kong. The external walls of the Temple are covered with sheets of 40-centimetre thick, grey-coloured granite. These granite sheets were all taken from North Carolina in the United States and were crafted in Italy, symbolizing the solemnity and purity of this holy building. The classic architectural style of the external walls matches the glossy amber-coloured marble enclosing wall perfectly. Looking at it from afar, people can sometimes get an illusion that the building is floating in the air. Such an illusion brings out the solemnity and holiness of the building even more. During the day, the long and narrow windows glaze with crystal glass and the golden statue of Moroni glitters in the sun, adding radiance and beauty to the building. At night, with the light radiating from the windows, the temple appears to be sparkling. Its purity, serenity and gracefulness stand out even more strongly. The temple adds glamour to the already magnificent night view of Hong Kong. There is no doubt about its unrivalled beauty.

In the October 1992 general conference, the First Presidency announced the prophet had received revelation on the construction of a temple in Hong Kong. Guided by the Spirit, President Gordon B. HINCKLEY chose 2 Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong, where the Hong Kong Mission Home and a chapel were standing, as the site for the temple. When the Church purchased this property in September 1955, it consisted of a garden villa, a swimming pool and a car park, covering an area of over 10,000 square feet. And now it has become a sanctuary serving the local saints as well as saints from Singapore and Malaysia.

The Mission Home and the Kowloon Tong Chapel were pulled down in January 1996. Then at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 22nd of the same month, Saturday, a solemn groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site. The ceremony was performed by the Asia Area President, Elder John K. CARMARK. Other attendants included the Asia Area presidency, the Hong Kong Mission presidency, Regional Representative, presidencies of the five stakes, patriarchs, high councils, bishops and branch presidents and the wives of these brethren. The choir consisted of the staff of the P.B.O. Office. Altogether about 250 people were present. The climax of the ceremony came when the Asia Area Presidency Elder John K. CARMACK, Elder TAI Kwok-yuen and Elder David E. SORENSON, Hong Kong Mission President David LOWE, Regional Representative Elder MA Chuen-sing and the five stake presidents, with a golden spade in hand, broke the ground together. The construction of the temple immediately commenced and it was completed in the spring of 1996.

The Hong Kong China Temple is the first multi-purpose temple complex built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as the temple, Sabbath day meeting place and mission office. It is the product of the joint efforts of LIANG Peddle and Keyran Sze of the architectural department, architect John W. P. Yu and the Church constructor Alan RUDDOLOPH. The temple is built of exotic and fine materials all over the world. Its unique architectural style and design has made it stand unparalleled in Kowloon Tong and even over the whole territory.

The solemn, beautiful temple was completed in May 1996 and was open to the public from the 10th to 21st of the same month. Prior to the open house, a press meeting was held. During the open house, over 13,000 members and members of the public visited the temple, including clergies of other religions, Hong Kong government officials, New China News Agency officials, businessmen, community leaders, and those from the construction sector.

Following the open house, the Hong Kong China Temple dedication ceremony was held on the 26th and 27th. The prophet President Gordon B. HINCKLEY, his first counsellor Thomas S. MONSON and Apostle Elder Neal A. MAXWELL came to Hong Kong to join the Asia Area presidency – President TAI Kwok-yuen, his counsellors President John GROBERG and President Rulon G. CRAVEN – in officiating at the dedication ceremony. Seven ceremony sessions were held, four in Cantonese, two in English and one in Mandarin. The prophet's prayers, the brethren's talks and the praising hymns sung by the choirs from various wards and branches all contributed to the sweet and heart-warming spirit felt throughout the dedication ceremony. The Hong Kong China Temple began its operation officially on 28 May. The temple presidency includes NG Kat-hing as the president and HO Hok-yuen and LO Chi-shuen as his first and second counsellors. Sister NG PANG Lai-har, the wife of the temple president, serves as the temple matron. Since the temple began its operation, about 50 voluntary ordinance workers serve in the temple every day. All these workers have to be interviewed and set apart by the temple presidency to hold such sacred authority.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, church members had to spend considerable amounts of time and money to go to the temples in Salt Lake City or other places to perform the ordinances. From the ‘80s onwards, temples have been erected one after another in the Asia region – in Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Taiwan. Today, long distances and financial considerations no longer pose obstacles to the Hong Kong members in entering the temple. Undoubtedly, the erection of the Hong Kong China Temple has a profound and far-reaching impact on God's children in Hong Kong and Mainland China.