A Mother's Final Struggle in the Flames

This is a record of an interview with Hu Xiaozhen, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon her life and the tragic fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 11, 2025.

Hu Xiaozhen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hu Xiaozhen. I was fifty-one years old. I was born in the bustling, vibrant city of Hong Kong. Back then, the city was truly prosperous; it felt as though opportunities to earn a living were everywhere, and everyone looked toward the future with such optimism. I spent my life working in the textile industry—sewing zippers, stitching garments, bags, and various accessories. The pay was decent enough for the time, and when the orders were plentiful, I could finish dozens of pieces in a single day, as we were paid by the item. I had been doing this work for nearly forty years, ever since I was a teenager.

It was through this hard-earned money that I was finally able to purchase my home at Wang Fuk Court, where I lived for over twenty years. I have one son and two daughters, all of whom were studying away from home. I felt such a deep sense of relief and pride knowing they were becoming capable, independent adults. Although raising three children on my own was never easy, I worked tirelessly to provide for them. We were a single-parent family; my husband passed away when I was still young. Those days were incredibly difficult to endure, but we made it through. When I faced that massive fire, the one thing I could not let go of was my three children. Even though they were slowly learning to live independently, working and studying at the same time, they were still so young. Many of them lacked the life experience to navigate the world safely. I was constantly worried they might fall in with the wrong crowd or choose the wrong partners, and I felt I still needed to be there to guide them. Yet, I could not stay with them until that moment; I had to leave first. I feel so sorry for my three children. I should have held on a little longer, perhaps I could have helped you all a bit more."

A Life Built on Hard Work

"Textile manufacturing has become quite rare these days, so I relied on my years of accumulated experience and technical skill to set up a small home workshop. I usually spent my time crafting handmade accessories, coin purses, and small fabric dolls. My daughter would help me list them on online platforms and ship them to buyers, which provided a significant portion of our income. I often observed what was popular among the youth, trying my best to keep up with market trends and create fashionable items. On the day of the fire, I was at home sewing clothes and making small accessories when the power suddenly cut out. My eyesight was not very good, and without light, I could not see clearly enough to work. I opened my door to check the hallway, but it was pitch black. Why would the power go out without any warning? I was quite puzzled. My sewing machine required electricity, and without it, I could not continue my work, so I decided to take a break. I thought about watching television, but that was not possible either. I decided to call my son to chat, but he only gave a few brief words of concern before saying he was busy and had to go. I truly had nothing to do. Should I go out? I had already bought groceries, so there was no need to leave. It seemed the only thing left to do was sleep, hoping the power would return when I woke up. I slept for an hour or two, but I felt incredibly hot. I tossed and turned, drenched in sweat. Was it a warm winter this year? I got up to turn on the electric fan, but it would not start. It seemed the power had not been restored.

The Darkness and the Flames

"I was so hot I could not sleep. I had heard that young people often pass the time by scrolling on their phones, but I was not very good at using them, and I was usually too busy to bother. I decided to give it a try. I opened my phone and started scrolling, when suddenly, I saw the news about the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court. Oh! That is my building! Has it caught fire? I should take a look. After watching for a while, I realised the situation was dire. The flames were fierce and had already spread to many blocks. I wondered if it would reach mine. I carefully checked which buildings were affected, and to my horror, my block was included. How could I not have known? There were no alarms, and no one had notified me. I wondered if the fire had been extinguished yet. Our Hong Kong fire services should be able to control the blaze quickly, I thought; I should not worry too much. But I still did not understand why the power was out. I waited in the pitch-black room, waiting and waiting, but the power never returned.

I waited for a long time, and suddenly my son called. I answered, feeling so relieved. He asked anxiously if I was alright; he must have seen the news. I told him there was no fire in my unit, but the power was out, the room was stifling, and it was too dark to work. Knowing I was safe, he felt a bit more at ease. He told me the fire was still spreading and that I should escape while there was still a chance. I asked him where I should go. He said to leave the building and only return once the fire was completely out. But I could not see the path, and it felt terrifying. My son urged me to check if the fire had spread, warning me that if the flames reached me, it would be too late to run. I thought he made sense; my son was always very clever, so I decided to listen to him."

A Desperate Escape

"I was about to leave, but the doorknob was so hot I could not touch it. In that instant, I felt a surge of panic. I grabbed a wet cloth to wrap around the knob and opened the door. Wow, the air outside was filled with hot, acrid wind. I saw flames at the other end of the hallway. Oh no, oh no! My son was right. If only I had left sooner. I had to hurry. I kept calling my son on the phone. When he answered, I asked him what I should do, as there was smoke in the hallway and fire at the end. He told me to go downstairs immediately, not to take the elevator, but to use the stairs. Oh, where were the stairs? I was not in the habit of using the stairs; we lived on such a high floor, and I always relied on the elevator to travel up and down twenty-three floors. I told my son, 'Do not hang up, I need to ask you questions as I go.' He agreed.

I saw a door that looked like the stairwell entrance and asked my son if that was the way. He said yes. But I saw a lot of trash and old furniture nearby. I asked if the stairwell was filled with these things, and he said that since it was never cleaned, I should just try my best to squeeze through. I listened to him and pushed into the pile of debris. I managed to squeeze inside, but it was filled with thick smoke, and I could not see the path clearly. I tripped over something and fell forward, screaming. My phone flew out of my hand, and I had no idea where it landed. There was debris everywhere, and I could not find my phone. I was in pain, but I could still get up. I shouted for my son, but I could not hear any response from the phone. I did not know what to do next. He had told me to go downstairs, so I had to hurry; if the fire reached this spot, I would never see my son again. I scrambled toward the stairs, but it was incredibly difficult to move; there were objects everywhere. I thought to myself, 'Who put all this trash here? In such a critical moment, this is truly lethal.' I vowed that if I survived, I would definitely report this to the management committee; it had to be cleared out so it would not kill anyone else. I struggled to move downward, but the smoke was suffocating, and the hot wind kept rushing upward, stinging my eyes so I could not keep them open. I covered my face with my hands, but my skin was burning from the heat. What could I do? My son had said to go down, and I had to trust him."

The Final Transition

"I continued to descend, coughing more and more violently. I could not see the path at all. In the darkness, points of light began to appear, followed by tongues of flame that licked upward. My hands and feet began to catch fire. The pain was unbearable, and I frantically tried to pat the flames out, but they would not stop. Through the firelight, I saw that the area was surrounded by debris, and soon, all that trash began to burn as well. I wanted to run, but I could not know where to hide. There was fire above and fire below; I was completely surrounded, and there was nowhere to go. I begged the Heavens for a chance; I did not want to die there. My children were still waiting for me, and I had to see them. Yet, the Heavens did not seem to hear my cries. I wailed in place; my face, head, chest, back, hands, and feet were in agony. My hands were so important; if they were injured, I could not work anymore.

I kept patting at the fire, but it only grew larger. Suddenly, it felt as if I had detached from myself, and the pain stopped. I saw my body lying in the debris room, burning along with the trash. Oh, I cried until I could not speak. I had died in a pile of garbage. I felt so much resentment; I had not yet seen my son or daughters, and I had been trapped here by a pile of trash, meeting my end in a sea of fire. I did not want this ending. I cried out to the sky, over and over again, but there was no response. My body had melted into a charred lump of waste. Humans are truly so fragile; this body is just like trash—it burns away in an instant."

A New Beginning in the Pure Land

"After crying in the darkness for a long time, suddenly, a light appeared, gently leading me to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. It was incredibly bright here. I tried to find my phone, and it appeared instantly. I quickly tried to call my son, but he did not answer. Where was I? I did not understand the situation. I wanted to ask my son, but a voice from the air told me, 'This is the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, the Western Dharma-Nature Land.'

After listening to the Dharma talks for a while, I understood that this is a spiritual space within a Buddhist temple. Victims of the fire were saved by the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and brought here. I used to only know of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, but now, after listening to the morning service and reciting the Sutras every day, I have learned that Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is always beside Namo Amituofo and often helps people on Earth. Now, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva are both here, which proves that Namo Amituofo truly abides right here. Although I do not understand much of the Buddha’s teachings, I know it was the Buddha who saved us, constantly shining light upon us to bring peace to our hearts. Listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, I have realised that the human world is an illusion; when you die, you cannot take anything with you. This is the truth. Now, I am just a spirit, and I can no longer interact with my family. Although I can send messages, this spirit is no longer connected to the physical body. After listening to the teachings for a while, I truly understand that no matter how close the family bond is, it is only temporary. Once this body is gone, the connection to the home is severed; we belong to different spaces and cannot help one another. My children, your mother has truly passed away, but my spirit is in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. Here, there is Namo Amituofo and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. If you want to talk to your mother, you can come to the temple. In fact, everyone should come to see Namo Amituofo and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. They stand tall right before me; you should come and see them with your own eyes.

I am your mother. I was very reluctant to let go of you, but I know I cannot watch over you forever; you were bound to be independent sooner or later. Although I did not expect it to happen so soon, since it has, then so be it. I hope you can live the rest of your lives in peace and happiness. If you can, remember to practise the Buddha’s teachings. Everyone will eventually face this final hurdle. Facing death is terrifying, but what is even more terrifying is not knowing where to go after death. You must find a destination. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and Namo Amituofo are everyone’s true home. I am grateful to the Buddha for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed.

Namo Amituofo.

Hu Xiaozhen"