A Final Escape from the Wang Fuk Court Fire: An Interview with Hu Wenliang (75)

This is a record of an interview with Hu Wenliang, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his passing during the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 8, 2025.

Hu Wenliang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hu Wenliang. I lived for the better part of a lifetime without ever encountering any great storms or waves, but this time, I met with a massive fire. Before I could even react, my entire being vanished from the human world. Everything happened so quickly; there was no time to prepare, not even enough time to say a word or two to my family. Just last week, I was still caught in my own frustrations and pain, but now, I am completely different. I have fully adapted to this transformation of identity. Here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, Practitioner Su keeps saying, 'I am Buddha, I am Buddha!' She says it so often that I have started to feel that I, too, can truly become a Buddha. The reality is exactly that, and only now do I understand this principle. The Buddha’s teachings are truly magnificent; they are the most unique faith I have ever encountered. However, Practitioner Su says that the Buddha’s teachings are not a religion, so I have learned to change my perspective. I want to tell my children that learning the Buddha’s teachings is not about religion—it is about education! My children and my wife did not have any particular religious faith, much like most Chinese or Hong Kong people. At most, we would show a little respect to the deities, but as for truly believing, I think we were all quite hollow inside. We even thought that the Buddha and the deities were all the same, and that all religions in the world were more or less the same—as long as you are a good person, that is enough.

A Sudden Departure from the World

Well, having said all that, let me get to the point. I have seen that the title of this interview is 'Victim of the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court.' Seeing such a title attached to me, I am still not quite used to it, especially the word 'victim.' It sounds so ominous, as if I died in a very miserable way. The truth is, the death in the human world was indeed miserable. It is just that I am living so well now that I do not take those past events to heart anymore. I agreed to come out and speak only because I hope to convey my precious experience to everyone. I want my family and all connected beings in the world to know that we are living in a very special era—the era where the Buddha has descended! People think the Buddha is far away in the heavens, but I can see very clearly from here that Namo Amituofo is right there in a small town called Goombungee in Australia. He is tall and radiates golden light. Furthermore, the Buddha travels everywhere. I also learned that the Buddha has countless manifestations, just like the great person at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Practitioner Su. Her manifestations, like those of Namo Amituofo, can fly all over the world. Every day, I sit here on my lotus flower and watch everything. It makes me so happy; it is a hundred times better than watching any movie.

The Day the Smoke Rose

Alright, let me talk about how I died, as that is the theme for today. When I died, it was very, very painful. It was an afternoon not long ago, and I was taking a nap. This is a habit I have had every day, as do almost all elderly people. Because we wake up early, we like to go out for a stroll in the morning, and when we return in the afternoon, we usually take a nap or sleep soundly. It is very normal, after all, I am a man over seventy-five. My children were not by my side, but they would often come to this estate to check on me. My wife was fortunate enough to leave before me, so she did not have to experience the suffering of growing old in loneliness. I still envy her for that, as we were once a very loving, elderly couple.

When the fire started, I was in bed. I just felt that the air and the bed were becoming very hot. I was drenched in sweat and felt very uncomfortable, but I just assumed that it was normal for a winter afternoon to turn warm. After all, people are always talking about climate change, and the weather is not the same as it used to be, so I kept thinking that way. But gradually, I began to feel that something was not right, because this heat was truly uncomfortable, and the air began to smell foul. I had no choice but to stop lingering in bed, get up, and walk out of the room to see what was happening, or if I had left something on in the kitchen.

Trapped in the Maze of Smoke

When I walked out, I discovered that there was already smoke filling the living room. This was definitely not a small matter! I began to panic and rushed to open the window, but I forgot that since the maintenance work began, the windows had been sealed shut. Our building was like an unfinished construction site; it was a massive renovation project. I wondered if the renovation workers were doing something major, using some equipment or hammering away, which would explain the smoke and the noisy sounds. So, I walked out of my home, wanting to ask the neighbours if they knew what was going on. Once I stepped out, I discovered that the whole building was filled with thick smoke. The children downstairs were screaming, and the scene looked like a chaotic evacuation. I realised that a fire had broken out! I also realised that our home seemed to have lost power. So, I quickly put on my shoes and followed the crowd.

Although I am a bit old, my legs were still nimble, though certainly not as fast as the young people. I walked quickly toward the stairwell and found a few people gathered there, pointing and discussing something. I thought that following them would surely be safe; after all, they were younger and knew more about escape common sense. I even wanted to call my children to let them know I was safe. I thought there was still time, so I quickly walked back to my door to get my mobile phone. I know that a common problem for many people is that they cannot leave their phones behind, but everyone did not expect that an old man like me would have such a habit. I still underestimated the fire too much; I never expected that my death would actually be related to a mobile phone. This back-and-forth took less than two minutes, yet I discovered that I was the only one left in the entire building! I felt a bit of regret, but there was no time to think too much. Between going up or down, I chose to go down, thinking it was safer. However, I lived on a high floor, so it would take some time to walk down.

The Final Moments of Despair

At this moment, I began to see that there was a large fire on the floors below. I walked down trembling; it turns out I am also very afraid of death. At this age, the closer I got to the fire, the more I started to shake. I did not dare to get close to the flames, but watching the speed at which the fire spread, it seemed that in such a confined space, the fire could sweep around without restraint. Very quickly, it swept into the stairwell where I was. I did not dare to cross it, although it seemed I could have taken the risk, but I was still very afraid of pain. Moreover, my whole body began to feel very uncomfortable; it was as if a thick smoke and a heavy feeling were pressing down on me. I started to wheeze, and breathing became difficult. As I watched the fire right above my head, a large section of the ceiling collapsed before my eyes, blocking my path forward. I thought, 'I am really going to die, aren't I?' In such a situation, where else was there a path to escape? There was no way forward or backward. I was completely desperate. I thought to myself that perhaps, being old, there was not much regret in dying, but I had not had time to say anything to my children or give any instructions before I had to go. I comforted myself, thinking that perhaps this was more straightforward than the torture of dying from an illness!

I was very, very tired. I wanted to sit down, but the remaining floor space felt as hot as a furnace. In such a confined space with no way out, before I was about to be burned to death, I was likely choked to death alive! Or perhaps it was the difficulty in breathing, or the extreme fatigue and shock—either way, not long after I started to feel the pain of the fire, I collapsed, and then I knew nothing more. Everything happened so fast, so fast. I just burned to death and suffered to death like that, leaving not a single trace behind.

A New Beginning in the Light

What did I do after I died? Very quickly, my spirit left my body. I do not have much memory of this process; it seemed to happen very naturally. I have seen interviews with some people who said this process was very painful, but I do not seem to have felt that. Perhaps it was because I had accepted my death before I passed away, so I did not have deep feelings for the body. After all, an old man does not have too many regrets; I have experienced everything, so let it be!

I just watched the scene of the fire, watching the fire slowly being extinguished, and then, a long time later, people came in to look for the victims. I saw my own body, and it seemed that the rescue workers could not make heads or tails of it, because my face was gone. It must be very difficult to identify who I am, right? I also do not want my children to see me in this state that does not look like a human. If it could be burned clean, leaving only white bones, that would be even better. Anyway, it was going to be burned sooner or later; this body is not worth me clinging to at all.

I did not care about all that anymore. I chose to let go and move forward, wanting to know where my departed spirit would go. I have seen so many religions say there is a heaven and a hell, but I seem to be neither. I was just a spirit that no one recognised, feeling so bored. It is truly boring; a life is just like this, ending with nothing. I could only keep waiting. It seemed I could move, but there was no destination, just a feeling of having no direction. I only knew that from time to time, I saw people who looked like me nearby; they must have all died in the fire. Everyone could not smile; everywhere there were bitter faces.

Just like that, I do not know how much time passed, when someone waved at me and told me to look ahead. I looked up and, wow! How did it suddenly become so bright? This did not look like the Wang Fuk Court building anymore; it seemed to be a field of golden light, and I could feel it was a very comfortable daytime, not the darkness and gloom from before. I just followed the light and disappeared into it.

The Safety of the Buddha’s Embrace

Speaking of this, I have returned to the topic I most want to share, just as I have been saying from the beginning about the Western Dharma-Nature Land and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. These two places are together; it is just that one is the human world, where people live, and the other is where we departed spirits or ghosts live. We can see people, but people cannot see us, yet the places are more or less together. I have been here for over a week, and I have adapted very well. I have decided to follow the Buddha for the rest of my life; I do not want anything else. This place is my heaven.

How good is it here? Haha, it is hard for you to imagine. This feeling is a kind of security that is impossible to have in the human world. It is as if you do not need to think about much; you do not have afflictions when you think about the past, and you do not need to worry about the future. It is the feeling that everything is left to the Buddha. Whatever you want, you have here. But for me, the happiest thing is seeing more and more people entering this place, as if there is always room to accommodate more spirits. At first, I thought I was the newest arrival, but in the blink of an eye, more and more newcomers arrived. I was truly happy to see this. Seeing the abilities of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, who can save so many countless beings to come here, is truly great and very special! I just watch all of this quietly, and I also watch the Dharma assemblies of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Every event makes one want to keep watching; it is just like wanting to keep chanting Namo Amituofo—it is just that relaxed and at ease.

Well, I have said enough. I hope my children can see this interview with their old man. If you can believe it, you will surely feel proud of me and be happy for me. You can come too! Before you die, come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia once. See what this heaven looks like; your hearts will surely be even happier, and you will know better what is meant by the impermanence of life.

Alright, I will stop here. I hope everyone who knows me can see this article and see how the fire in Hong Kong was saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Everyone, do not keep being sad or mourning. Everything has passed. All of us, over a hundred people, are doing very well. Do not worry about us. Gratitude to everyone, gratitude to Namo Amituofo.

Namo Amituofo.

Hu Wenliang"