The Final Choice in the Wang Fuk Court Fire

This is a record of an interview with Qiu Baomei, 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 the events surrounding the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 13, 2025.

Qiu Baomei speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am an Indonesian domestic helper, and my Chinese name is Qiu Baomei. I can speak English, though my English is not very fluent. My Chinese is decent enough, which is how I managed to work in Hong Kong for so many years. I arrived in Hong Kong in the early eighties and have worked as a domestic helper ever since, serving many different families. Some employers were very kind, while others were quite strict. They would demand perfection in every detail—the cleaning, the timing—everything had to be meticulous. They wouldn't give me a moment of personal time, not even for a short nap. But some employers were much easier to get along with.

A Life of Service and Survival

After doing this for so many years, I became quite experienced. I eventually preferred caring for the elderly, especially those over eighty or ninety. They are usually confined to wheelchairs, which makes the work much easier for me. If an elderly person is still mobile, it can be quite troublesome and even risky—if they were to pass away suddenly while I was on duty, the family might suspect that I had harmed them, either directly or indirectly. So, whenever I chose an employer, I would first confirm that the elderly person was not on the verge of death. If their health began to decline, I would ask for a raise, and the boss would usually try to fire me. But this time was different. I was caring for an elderly man named Wu Zhaorong, who was eighty-two years old. By the way, I am forty-two this year.

I had been caring for him for quite some time. From the very beginning, I knew that his family didn't really want to deal with him; to them, he was just a burden. I know this is normal; it happens everywhere. Once people grow old, their children often cast them aside. I started caring for him three years ago, and every time he mentioned his family, I could feel his loneliness and helplessness. He had worked so hard to raise his children, only to be half-abandoned at Wang Fuk Court. Every time I chatted with him, I felt he was in good spirits. He truly treated me like his own daughter. I never thought an elderly person could be like that. The elderly people I cared for in the past were usually fading away—either their spirits were getting worse, or they had lost interest in everything around them, whether it was friends or food. But Mr. Wu was different. For an eighty-two-year-old, his reactions were very youthful, and he was very easy to care for. I only needed to prepare his three meals and remind him to take his medicine. However, he had become increasingly forgetful lately, and I couldn't tell if he was doing it on purpose or if he really forgot to take his pills.

The Day the Fire Changed Everything

On the day of the incident, I went to Wang Fuk Court early in the morning, just as I always did according to my contract. After preparing breakfast, I woke him up and served it to him. Once he finished, I reminded him to take his medicine. Afterward, he said he wanted me to accompany him to the bank. I agreed, so I helped him into his wheelchair and pushed him downstairs to the nearby bank. At the bank, he withdrew some money and gave some to me, saying it was a bonus for the week. I told him it wasn't necessary, as my salary was already high enough. He insisted, 'Your salary is your salary; this is a gift from me.' I said, 'Alright then.' When we returned home, he told me that he could take care of himself for the rest of the day and that I should go out for a stroll or have a nice lunch—that it was my personal time. I told him I couldn't do that because it was my working hours. He laughed and said I was too stubborn, even more stubborn than he was. I replied, 'Fine, if this is your order, then listening to you counts as work.' He said, 'Exactly, think of it however you like, as long as you find it reasonable.'

So, I went out for lunch. I was truly grateful to Mr. Wu for giving me that time off; my previous employers had never treated me like that. I wandered around shopping until after three o'clock, and I felt I should go back to check on Mr. Wu. There was a traffic jam that lasted an hour, and I didn't get back until about four-thirty. By then, the fire was already massive, and the flames were swallowing the adjacent building. I was terrified that the fire would spread to our building. I rushed back and took the stairs because the elevators were out of service. I knew that if I wasn't in the room, I would definitely be fired and would never find work again. If others found out I had left the elderly man alone to go shopping, and something happened to him because I wasn't there to help in time, they would fire me forever. It would be the darkest record of my life, and I absolutely could not let that happen.

A Stubborn Choice and a Final Farewell

I rushed up as fast as I could. When I reached Mr. Wu's home, I found him sleeping on the sofa. I said to him, 'Are you joking? The building next door is on fire! How can you still be sleeping? What if I hadn't made it back? Are you planning to just die here?' He looked at me with a blank expression and asked, 'Fire? What are you talking about?' I patiently explained to him, 'The building next door is on fire, and it's huge. We don't know if it will spread here, so let's escape now!' I put him in his wheelchair and started to rush out, but the elevator was broken. I told Mr. Wu, 'Let's take the stairs,' but he refused. He said he would rather stay in the room and go nowhere. I said, 'Are you kidding me? The fire could spread at any moment; staying here is suicide! Please, don't make such a foolish decision!' He explained that this apartment was the only thing he owned. If it were destroyed by fire, he wouldn't know how to go on living or where to stay. I said, 'Your life is far more precious than this apartment! As long as you are alive, there is a chance. Once your body is burned like wood, everything is over.' He wouldn't listen at all and started pushing his wheelchair back into the room. I tried to stop him, but if he didn't want to leave, there was no way I could carry him downstairs alone—he couldn't walk without his wheelchair. He told me to leave him alone and demanded that I follow his orders. This was the first time he had spoken to me in such a tone. He told me to go. I was stunned; I couldn't believe he was being so stubborn. I shouted at him a few more times, but his attitude was resolute.

After my final shout, I gave up. I started to head downstairs alone, feeling very uncertain about whether I had done the right thing. When I was almost at the first floor, I suddenly understood his intention. He knew that if I tried to escape with him, neither of us might make it out. Once he knew the elevator was out, he had done this on purpose. I rushed back up, deciding that no matter what, I had to carry him downstairs. I knew that doing so wasn't just to save him, but also to protect my job. People would praise my actions, and more people would hire me or give me a raise. I kept convincing myself that this was the right decision. When I returned to his door, he had already locked it. I shouted for him to open the door, but there was no response. I was a bit angry that he had locked it, and now I was truly helpless. I had no choice but to head back to the stairs. This time, I bowed before I started my descent. When I reached about the fifteenth floor, the smoke became thicker and thicker, and breathing became difficult. I thought to myself, if the smoke was already this unbearable for me, could Mr. Wu even hold on? I continued to rush down, but at about the seventh floor, I was forced to stop. The smoke was too thick to see the path, and the high temperature made my skin burn with pain.

Deliverance into the Light

The hot smoke choked me until I could barely breathe, and I fainted, losing consciousness. When I woke up again, I found that I could no longer move my body. The fire swept over me, but I didn't feel a thing. I knew there was no saving me. Suddenly, I was very worried about Mr. Wu. I flew back to his room. As a spirit, doors and walls couldn't stop me. I saw him sitting on the sofa, crying silently. The fire was still outside, and I was so worried it would burn into the room. I tried to push the fire away, but I saw many angry spirits within the flames. Mr. Wu was surrounded by many spirits, and he was almost unable to move. I wondered if I was seeing things, but it was truly terrifying. Those spirits wanted his life, and I couldn't do anything. I waited for a long, long time until the firefighters arrived. I told them there was an elderly man in the room waiting to be saved, but the firefighters couldn't hear my voice at all.

I kept shouting at them, but there was still no response. I didn't know what to do. Suddenly, I saw Mr. Wu turn into a spirit as well. I screamed, 'No!' I flew back to the room. I knew he was a spirit now, but the fire hadn't reached the room yet, and his body was still intact. Perhaps there was still a chance for him to return to his body. I kept shouting beside the firefighters. After a long, long time, Mr. Wu's body was finally burned to charcoal, and we lost our last chance. I saw a light shine down, but at the time, I was still desperately begging for help. I didn't walk into that light; I didn't even notice it. But after that light appeared, I could no longer see Mr. Wu's spirit. I don't know if he returned to his body, but after his body was burned, I still didn't see him. I asked others if they had seen him, and someone said he might have already entered that light.

That light? What was it? I had no idea. Then I started wandering around, not knowing where to go. Suddenly, that golden light appeared again. I was surprised and immediately rushed into the light. I really wanted to confirm if Mr. Wu was inside. In an instant, I entered the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This place is truly so dignified and beautiful; I have never been to such a place. I saw Mr. Wu—it was wonderful! He looks much younger and healthier than before. Knowing all this, I feel so peaceful and serene. After listening to the teachings of Practitioner Su, I now know that the golden light is the light of Namo Amituofo. Every spirit has been saved to the Dharma-Nature Land. I feel much better now. I know I can never return to my old life, but I can live a better life here.

Dear family and friends, I cannot return to Indonesia now. I have new work to do here in Australia, and I am currently learning new skills and the Buddha's teachings. I have not abandoned my faith; what I am learning here is the Buddhist education of Namo Amituofo. I am looking forward to my new life here, so please do not worry about me. If anyone wishes to find me, you are welcome to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I will be waiting for you here.

Namo Amituofo.

Qiu Baomei"