‘From big renovation to big burial’: Wang Fuk Court residents return to mark Ching Ming

Thousands of Hongkongers braved heavy rains to sweep tombs during the Ching Ming Festival on Sunday, with some Wang Fuk Court residents returning to the fire-ravaged housing estate to mourn the victims. The spring trek to graveyards around Hong Kong began under skies darkened by an approaching band of thundery showers, which prompted the Observatory to issue an amber rainstorm warning at 2.05pm. While many Chinese families cherish the chance to visit their ancestors’ tombs and pay their respects, the day was yet another painful step for the survivors of the blaze in Tai Po. Flames engulfed seven of the eight towers at Wang Fuk Court, which was undergoing a major renovation, on November 26, killing 168 people and displacing 5,000 others. A couple who introduced themselves as Mr Yau, 78, and Mrs Yau, 70, sat on a bench next to the housing estate in Tai Po, silently gazing at the charred buildings. They spent an hour on public transport making the journey so they could mourn their lost neighbours and friends. “No one expected the big renovation to end up as a big burial,” Mr Yau said. The Yaus are temporarily staying at Runway 1331, a hostel in Kai Tak that was originally built as a Covid-19 quarantine facility. They were anxiously waiting for a government decision over resettlement as the fate of their home in Wang Chi House – the only tower spared from the fire – remained uncertain. But the government has yet to offer any plans for the tower’s residents. “I from time to time go insane and lose my temper when thinking of the future of the two of us,” Mrs Yau said. “I hope the government will properly resettle us as we are very old.” Several other residents who lost loved ones in the blaze said they paid their visits last month, in keeping with tradition. Graves less than a year old must be swept before Spring Sacrifice, or chunshe – a Chinese folk festival to honour the God of Soil and to pray for a good harvest. This year, it fell on March 25. Paying an earlier visit keeps the mourning of the new loss separate from the more celebratory atmosphere of spring and ensures the deceased receive offerings before the gates of the underworld become crowded on Ching Ming. The bad weather also disrupted some outdoor events, including the Coffee Hong Kong festival at the West Kowloon Cultural District arts hub. Rain soaked visitors and turned the Great Lawn of the Art Park into a muddy field, leaving stall operators worrying about business. Some visitors were disappointed, sharing pictures of their muddy shoes as they hid under the tiny canopies of stalls. The organiser offered to allow Sunday ticket holders to visit the coffee fair on Monday and provide free shoe cleaning for the first 100 attendees. The amber warning, issued when rain exceeding 30mm had fallen or was expected to fall in an hour and was likely to continue, was cancelled at 5.40pm. Elsewhere in the city, crowds were seen at graveyards in Cape Collinson, Tseung Kwan O, Wo Hop Shek and Sha Tin. Hundreds of people flocked to Po Fook Hill Cemetery in Sha Tin, carrying ritual offerings. Among them were retiree Chan Chi-kwong, 62, his wife and two sons, aged 25 and 21. The family spent about HK$1,200 (US$153) on ritual offerings and fresh flowers at the cemetery. He described his family as fortunate compared with Wang Fuk Court residents. “Just look at the residents of Wang Fuk Court. With their lives in such a state of uncertainty and struggle, they cannot even begin to think about honouring their ancestors,” he said. He said the annual pilgrimage was a vital tradition they cherished while they still had the chance to pay their respects. “We come once a year to visit my parents and fulfil our filial duties,” Chan said. “We should come while we still have the chance.” Tomb sweeper Ng Man-yee, a 42-year-old marketing officer, said she chose to forgo travelling with her family this year and instead took the opportunity to cherish the memories of her late mother and share stories of her own childhood with her eight-year-old daughter. “We should instil the traditional virtue of honouring our ancestors in the next generation,” Ng said. At Gallant Garden at Wo Hop Shek, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan laid flowers at the tomb of Ho Wai-ho, the firefighter who died in the line of duty at Wang Fuk Court. “His bravery and selflessness will forever be etched in our hearts,” she wrote in a social media post.

‘From big renovation to big burial’: Wang Fuk Court residents return to mark Ching Ming

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Day dedicated to sweeping graves and honouring dead marked across Hong Kong, but tradition proves painful for survivors of deadly blaze in Tai Po

Day dedicated to sweeping graves and honouring dead marked across Hong Kong, but tradition proves painful for survivors of deadly blaze in Tai Po