Former French mission

In the mid-19th century, following the First Opium War (1839–1842) and the British acquisition of Hong Kong, France sought to strengthen its influence in Asia. In 1847, the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Étrangères de Paris) established a Catholic mission in Hong Kong. Its primary objectives were to support French missionaries traveling to China, Vietnam, and Korea, as well as to spread Christianity among the local population.