Prayers on the go: Hong Kong’s Muslim-friendly shift

HONG KONG (MNTV) – Not long ago, Muslims visiting Hong Kong had few dedicated spaces for prayer. Today, from Disneyland to Ngong Ping Village, visitors can find prayer rooms, halal meals and water-friendly washrooms — part of a growing push to make the city more welcoming to Muslim travelers.

When Malaysian lecturer and travel vlogger Rawdhah Paiz visited Hong Kong last year, her friends had to roll out prayer mats on the bed of their cramped hostel at Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui.

“Since there’s no space in this room, my friends have to pray on the bed,” Paiz said in one of her YouTube videos. 

Like millions of Muslim travellers, Paiz performs daily prayers, even while on holiday. But in destinations with few prayer spaces, that often means improvising. 

Paiz told RTHK that finding a clean, private space and facilities for ablution, or wudu, is often difficult while traveling. 

She recalled once praying in a clothing store fitting room in Australia. “It works, although it’s not ideal,” she said. “That’s why we bring a mat — we pray on the mat. I’ll always carry mine.”

Even washing before prayers can be awkward. “In a non-Muslim country, like Australia, I wanted to pray but there was no place for ablution,” she said. “So I went to the female toilet, and of course I had to take off my scarf, wash myself — and yeah, some women would look at me like, ‘What are you doing?’”

For Paiz, having a small, designated prayer room would make all the difference. “Of course, it will be cool to have many prayer facilities, right? It will be easier for us, for all Muslims.”

Not long ago, prayer spaces in Hong Kong were scarce. That is changing, as the government seeks to attract more Muslim tourists. 

In his policy address last year, Chief Executive John Lee pledged to make the city more Muslim-friendly. Since then, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has partnered with CrescentRating, a global body that certifies Muslim-friendly travel services. 

The number of accredited hotels jumped from 39 to 62 in a year, with most scoring a basic level of services, and eight reaching higher standards. 

CrescentRating CEO Fazal Bahardeen said prayer accessibility was a key factor. “For example, do they provide prayer direction markers in hotel rooms? We also look at whether the washrooms are water-friendly — because Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before each prayer,” he said.

Hotels with higher scores provide prayer rugs, copies of the Quran and halal-certified meals. 

CrescentRating now plans to expand accreditation to attractions, malls and conference venues.

“People have misunderstandings. They think it’s some kind of religious travel, which it is not. It’s leisure travel. It’s just trying to solve their day-to-day needs,” Bahardeen explained.

New spaces for prayer

Hong Kong Disneyland now offers halal meals and prayer facilities. Ngong Ping Village near the Big Buddha provides separate prayer rooms for men and women, complete with mats and garments for female visitors. The airport also has multi-faith prayer rooms open round the clock.

These steps have earned Hong Kong recognition. In the latest Global Muslim Travel Index, it was named the “most promising” Muslim-friendly destination and among the top three non-Muslim-majority markets.

Paiz said she noticed the difference. “Of course there’s still room for improvement, but honestly it’s a good start,” she said. “Overall, we had a good experience. That’s why if I have the opportunity, I will go back again.”