It was through a military regiment in 1863 with an ambulatory Warrant that the Irish Craft was first implemented on Hong Kong shores. This regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 20th Regiment, Lancashire Fusiliers, held a Warrant for Sphinx Lodge No. 263 (issued on 6 October 1860).
The first Masonic meeting was held on 30 December 1863 at Kowloon Camp. The Fusiliers left Hong Kong for Yokohama, Japan in July 1864. Members of Sphinx Lodge were petitioners of the first lodge to be warranted in Japan on 30 January 1866. This lodge was Yokohama No. 1092 EC, and its banner is still displayed in Zetland Hall in Hong Kong today.
Sphinx Lodge returned to Hong Kong on 28 July 1866 where it continued to meet until 2 March 1867. The Regiment then went to Mauritius before returning to Ireland on 16 December 1873. At Galipoli during the Great War, the Regiment earned six Victoria Crosses before breakfast in one particular morning. In 1968 it was amalgamated into the The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers along with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).
The English constitution was first active in mainland China as early as 1767 with Amity Lodge 407 working in Canton. This was followed by the Swedish in 1786, the Scottish with Cosmopolitan 428 in 1864 and Ancient Landmark, Massachusetts Constitution was also active in Shanghai.
The Irish replied with Lodge Erin 463 in Shanghai and this lodge was warranted on 8 October 1919. Erin now meets in Hong Kong. There was an Irish Lodge warranted in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1900. This was Menam Lodge, but it was never consecrated.