The Camino de Santiago will travel thousands of kilometres east in 2027, reaching the Catholic community of Hong Kong through a special calendar dedicated entirely to the pilgrimage to Santiago.
The Catholic Truth Society of Hong Kong, the official publishing house of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, is preparing a special 2027 edition entitled “Walking the Camino de Santiago: Guided by Faith”. Around 4,000 wall and desk calendars are expected to be printed and distributed among the local Catholic community.
The project is especially significant because 2027 will be a Holy Year in Santiago de Compostela, placing the Camino once again at the centre of attention for pilgrims and Catholic communities around the world.
A journey through the spiritual heritage of the Camino
The calendar will feature historical and religious places linked to the Camino Francés, presenting the pilgrimage not simply as a hiking route, but as one of Europe’s great spiritual and cultural journeys.
Among the locations selected is the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, one of the most important religious landmarks on the Camino.
One of the images chosen for the Hong Kong calendar shows one of the cathedral’s most famous and unusual treasures: the Gallinero, the enclosure inside the church where a live white rooster and hen are kept in memory of one of the best-known legends of the Camino de Santiago.
From La Rioja to Hong Kong
The story behind the image has itself become a small example of the international reach of the Camino.
May Wong, editor of the Hong Kong project, contacted Diario de Santiago while searching for a photograph of the Gallinero suitable for the calendar.
The photograph existed, but using it required permission from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada and access to the original high-resolution image.
After several contacts, Francisco José “Paco” Suárez, abbot of the cathedral chapter, provided the original photograph and authorised its use in the Hong Kong publication.
The editors expressed their gratitude, explaining that being able to share such a representative image of the Camino with Catholics in Hong Kong was especially meaningful.
The miracle that still lives inside the cathedral
The Gallinero is linked to one of the most famous legends on the Camino Francés.
According to tradition, a young pilgrim travelling with his parents was falsely accused of theft and sentenced to death. After his execution, his parents discovered that he was still alive thanks to the intervention of Santo Domingo.
When they informed the local authority, he supposedly replied that the boy was as alive as the roasted rooster and hen on his table.
At that moment, according to the legend, the birds came back to life.
The story survives today in the traditional Spanish saying:
“Santo Domingo de la Calzada, donde cantó la gallina después de asada.”
Centuries later, live birds are still kept inside the cathedral as a reminder of the miracle and of the centuries-old tradition of hospitality towards pilgrims.
The Camino continues to cross borders
The Hong Kong initiative is another example of how far the Camino de Santiago now reaches beyond Spain.
The pilgrimage is increasingly present in communities around the world, not only through people who travel to Galicia, but also through associations, religious projects, cultural initiatives and local Camino-inspired routes.
In 2027, thousands of Catholic homes in Hong Kong will see images of the Camino throughout the year.
And among them will be the Gallinero of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, carrying one of the oldest and most curious legends of the Camino Francés all the way to Asia.
From La Rioja to Hong Kong.
The Camino keeps travelling, even when the pilgrims do not.
