In March 1879, he and his confrere Johann Baptist von Anzer boarded a ship to Hong Kong, where they arrived five weeks later.
They stayed there for two years.
Freinademetz was based in Sai Kung Peninsula until 1880 and set up a chapel on the island of Yim Tin Tsai in 1879.
In 1881 they moved to the southern region of the Province of Shantung, to which they had been assigned.
At the time of their arrival, there were 12 million people living in that province, of which 158 had been baptized.

Freinademetz was very active in the education of Chinese laymen and priests.
 He wrote a catechism in Chinese, which he considered a crucial part of their missionary effort.
In 1898, he was sick with laryngitis and tuberculosis, so Anzer, who had become the bishop of the region, and other priests convinced him to go to Japan to recuperate.
He returned, but was still not fully cured.
When Anzer had to leave China for a journey to Europe in 1907, the administration of the diocese was assigned to Freinademetz.
In March 1879, he and his confrere Johann Baptist von Anzer boarded a ship to Hong Kong, where they arrived five weeks later. They stayed there for two years. Freinademetz was based in Sai Kung Peninsula until 1880 and set up a chapel on the island of Yim Tin Tsai in 1879. In 1881 they moved to the southern region of the Province of Shantung, to which they had been assigned. At the time of their arrival, there were 12 million people living in that province, of which 158 had been baptized.
Freinademetz was very active in the education of Chinese laymen and priests.  He wrote a catechism in Chinese, which he considered a crucial part of their missionary effort. In 1898, he was sick with laryngitis and tuberculosis, so Anzer, who had become the bishop of the region, and other priests convinced him to go to Japan to recuperate. He returned, but was still not fully cured. When Anzer had to leave China for a journey to Europe in 1907, the administration of the diocese was assigned to Freinademetz.
Joseph Freinademetz