TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Construction on the second temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will begin in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in late Nov. 

A groundbreaking ceremony on the church’s five square kilometer-sized site will take place on Nov. 25, the church said on Monday (Oct. 16). The building itself will have a footprint of over 1000 square meters and will be located in Kaohsiung’s Niaosong District.

The church said attendance at the ceremony is by invitation only, but all will be welcome to attend services when construction is complete. “The primary purpose of the temple, however, is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies which unite families forever,” the church said.

The Latter-day Saints have a significant presence in Taiwan, with a self-reported membership of over 62,000, behind only the Philippines and Japan in Asia. The first of its temples in Taiwan was opened in Taipei’s Daan in 1984.

The temple site in Kaohsiung. (LDS Church photo)