Built in 1890, St Joseph’s Chapel was erected in neo-Romanesque style by visiting missionaries who developed a strong relationship with the local Hakka Chan clan. 

Before the turn of the century, the Hakka people had largely converted to Catholicism under the influence of the Roman Catholic priest Joseph Freinademetz of the Society of the Divine Word. Some years later, the entire village was baptised in a ceremony. 

The chapel, now just a minute’s walk from the Yim Tin Tsai pier, was dedicated to the island’s patron saint and has since been designated a UNESCO-listed heritage building and a Grade II historic building, standing as a physical reminder of the impact St Joseph made on the villagers. 

Blending architectural elements from the Catholic liturgical tradition with features from classic Chinese village chapels, St Joseph’s Chapel has a rectangular shape with an altar flanked by two rows of wooden benches.