A gemini surfactant was used as a kinetic self-assembly template to synthesize hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs). In this method, only one surfactant, one silica source of TEOS and one solvent (water) were used. This easy and general method might be applicable for the production of HMSNs with controllable pore size for versatile applications in catalysis and drug delivery.