This Book of Common Prayer was developed over a period of several years primarily for Anglicans / Episcopalians in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It is not complete and consists only of the main services, Holy Communion, and Morning and Evening Prayer, plus Occasional Prayers.

As may be quickly seen, it is closely based on the Rite II services in the 1979 US Book of Common Prayer. The development and acceptance of this book, as noted in the two Prefaces below, was complicated by the different cultures, Chinese dialects, and customs of the various places it was to be used. As a result, today Anglicans in Hong Kong primarily use a 1989 translation, basically of the US BCP, into modern Chinese, while Episcopalians on Taiwan use a 2010 translation of the US BCP into Mandarin, or classical Chinese.

The development of this book is detailed in English translations of the two Chinese Prefaces, given below. The Book itself is presented as PDF graphics with English and Chinese on facing pages. See the link below right. This particular book was printed in Hong Kong; apparently there was a simultaneous printing in Taipei, Taiwan, which is listed in David Griffiths' Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer as 15:38.

The Order for Holy Communion
Morning Prayer
Evening Prayer
Occasional Prayers

Preface (1976):

In 1974 the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States authorized the Diocese of Taiwan to revise the Chinese Book of Common Prayer to meet the needs of the Episcopal Church in China, without having to translate it directly from the American Book of Common Prayer. In 1975, the Episcopal Church in the East also authorized the Diocese of Taiwan to adapt the Chinese Book of Common Prayer to the needs of the dioceses of East Asia. As a result, a committee was formed to compile the Chinese Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church in East Asia.
The committee was convened by the Rev. Michael Wong of Taiwan, with Dr. Gregory Peggan as the advisor, the Rev. Luk-Chyung Chang of Hong Kong, the Rev. Sheng-Wu Wu of Hong Kong, the Rev. Sun-Hsin Cheng of Singapore, the Rev. Ping-Chung Yeung of Sabah, the Rev. Chun-Han Boon of the Philippines, and the Rev. Shaw-Wah Poon of San Francisco as the committee members.

This committee (Rev. Poon Shiu-wah was unable to come because of business, and Rev. Ng Seng-wu from Hong Kong was represented by Rev. Chang Pei-yang) met at the Taipei Youth Association from March 8 to 12, 1976, and made reference to a number of Books of Common Prayer in the United Kingdom and the United States, and revised the Book of Common Prayer in accordance with the needs of the current Chinese Episcopal Church.

Now this new Chinese version of the Eucharist has been printed (with the translation of the congregational prayers from the 1976 version of the Revised Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America as an appendix) and distributed to all Chinese in the world. I hope that you will find areas for improvement and provide this committee with your valuable comments. I also hope that before the second meeting of this committee is held in Hong Kong in October, 1977, you will provide them with some comments and creation of the Wedding and Funeral Rituals, etc., or introduce some new prayers for their reference.

Please send all comments and creations to the convenor, Rev. Michael Huang, at the following address:
No. 7, Lane 05, Sec. 1, Hangzhou S. Rd.
Office of the Taiwan Sheng Kung Hui Parish.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!
President of the Episcopal Church in East Asia
Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Taiwan

Preface (1983):

Revision of the Book of Common Prayer is a long and difficult task. Because of the abundance of information and the diversity of opinions, it is not easy to obtain a perfect version that is acceptable to all.

However, from the beginning of the preparatory work to the formation of the compilation committee by the representatives of the dioceses of the Anglican Council of East Asia, four meetings were held in the dioceses of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Sabah, in which the compilation was carried out in small groups and by individuals on a trial basis in various places.

At the same time, during the process of compilation, there were also revision principles: the text should be concise and elegant, the notes should be free and elastic, the format should be in Chinese and English (note: this format was decided by the representatives of the dioceses after a detailed examination, in order to accommodate the faithful of the Anglican-Chinese churches of the various regions), and the theological doctrines should not deviate from the mainstream of tradition, but rather should adopt the practical necessities of the new age.

In accordance with the above principles, the Book of Common Prayer has been revised to include the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer, Confirmation, the Catechism, the Prayer for Catechumens, the Marriage Rite, the Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child, the Funeral Liturgy (with the Prayer for Burial in the Earth and at Sea), the Liturgy for Ordinations, the Church's Calendar and Occasional Prayers, and the Prayer for Chinese Festivals, etc.

However, during the consultation process, it was found that, with the exception of the Eucharistic text and the Morning and Evening Prayer, it was difficult to harmonize the other texts to suit each region and its culture and customs. We agreed to pre-publish the Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer texts, which are more commonly used at this stage and are less likely to be hindered by regionalization and cultural thinking, for practical use or as samples for reference. For the rest of the liturgies, we have to consider their practical value and needs before publishing them in detail. Looking ahead, the present compilation is only a preliminary attempt, and errors are inevitable.

However, during the trial and revision period, thanks to the advice of pastors and laity, many improvements have been made. In addition, each diocese has its own Liturgy Committee, which can revise the Book of Common Prayer at any time, in order to perfect the liturgy to express our worship, prayers, and thanksgiving to the true God. In this way, the unfinished work of the Society can be accomplished by a wider range of talents, and the harvest will be even more fruitful.

For the fruits of this ministry, we should thank the East Asian Episcopal Church Council, the Episcopal Church in America, and Mr. Lee Kwong-chien. Without their endorsement and financial support, the compilation of the book would not have been as easy to carry out.

We hope that the compilation will be accepted and adopted by the wise leaders and the faithful, and that they will make suggestions and corrections.

Advisors of the Chinese Book of Common Prayer Compilation Committee: Mr. Pong Tak and Mr. Ming
Chairman of the Chinese Book of Common Prayer Compilation Committee: Mr. Michael Wong
Sheng Kung Hui Publishing House Chairman: Mr. L.L. Chang