Sophie Chen-Morrison is a cultural anthropologist specialising in Hong Kong's religious heritage and temple traditions. She holds a PhD in Asian Studies from SOAS University of London and completed postdoctoral research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. With 12 years of fieldwork experience across Hong Kong's sacred sites, she now advises museums and tourism bodies on culturally sensitive heritage interpretation.
Sophie Chen-Morrison's academic journey began at the University of Edinburgh, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology before pursuing a Master's at SOAS University of London focused on Chinese religious syncretism. Her doctoral thesis examined the intersection of Taoist and Buddhist practices in Hong Kong's urban temples, requiring four years of intensive fieldwork in Sheung Wan, Wong Tai Sin, and Lantau Island. Following her PhD, Sophie held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she documented oral histories from temple keepers and incense masters. Her unique background as a British-born Chinese researcher allows her to bridge cultural understanding gaps that often frustrate Western visitors. Sophie has consulted for the Hong Kong Heritage Museum on their religious artefacts exhibitions and trained docents at Man Mo Temple on visitor management protocols. She has published articles in the Journal of Chinese Religions and contributed to BBC Radio 4 documentaries on Asian spirituality. Sophie writes to help respectful travellers engage meaningfully with sacred spaces without causing unintentional offence. Her work addresses the nuances of incense offerings, fortune-telling rituals, and the visual language of temple architecture that guidebooks typically overlook.