Pope Paul VI visits Hong Kong

On the afternoon of 4 December 1970, Pope Paul VI paid a brief visit to Hong Kong and delivered his blessing to the city’s residents. After arriving at Kai Tak International Airport, the Pope boarded a helicopter that took him to Happy Valley. He was then driven in a jeep to Government Stadium, where he held mass. At the time, the stadium only had a capacity of 28,000 people but as many as 40,000 believers packed into the venue. The Pope’s historical visit to Hong Kong lasted only three hours.