The Final Moments in the Wang Fuk Court Fire

This is a record of an interview with Chen Youming, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life and his passing in the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court, Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 7, 2025.

Chen Youming speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chen Youming. I was separated from my wife during that massive fire, and I never saw her again. I was an elderly man, seventy-three years old, and my health was quite good. I had spent half my life at Wang Fuk Court. Watching the changes in Hong Kong over the decades, I always assumed I would grow old and pass away peacefully within those walls. I never imagined that death could arrive in a single instant. Just when I had reached the time to enjoy my twilight years, my life was extinguished in a blaze.

The Weight of Regret

I feel a deep sense of guilt toward my wife. I spent my entire life working hard, never truly accompanying her when she needed me most. I always placed the heavy burdens of the household upon her shoulders while I ventured out alone. But it is too late to say these things now; we are separated by the divide between the living and the dead. To think that she is still suffering alone because of my death—it is truly cruel to contemplate.

I have been in the Western Dharma-Nature Land for some time now. I have come to understand that the impermanence and suffering of human life are simply the way things are. Humans have no way to control their own destinies; it is all the laws of karma and cause and effect playing out like a drama in the human world. This fire was just like a play—once the curtain fell, nothing remained. Only we, the most fortunate ones, have been granted this way of rebirth, arriving in a place even better than heaven. I have nothing left to complain about.

A Plea to the Living

However, for the people still in the human world, you truly need to learn about the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Namo Amituofo, and Practitioner Su. Only then will you not have come to the human world in vain, and only then will you avoid leaving your loved ones to suffer in silence like my wife. We are the ones who have 'found the treasure,' which is why we are so eager for those in the human world to see our state and to know of this beautiful place.

To tell the truth, on the day of the fire, I chose not to go out with my wife. She had to go shopping for some small items, and I decided to stay home alone. Retirement life was actually quite boring, so I often looked for odd jobs to do. I would pick up chores around the Wang Fuk Court complex that others were unwilling to handle. I didn't like being idle; I liked to have things to do, even if there was no pay. It was just like my workaholic self from the past—it was hard to stop. I was one of the few elderly volunteers in the complex, responsible for minor tasks. That day was no exception; I was preparing to go to the building next door to deliver supplies to those in need. I was very familiar with the complex where I had lived for decades.

The Onset of the Inferno

I am naturally an optimistic and cheerful person, and I love chatting with old friends about everything under the sun. As I moved back and forth, I stopped to chat with familiar neighbours. When I was on a floor in another building, a friend and I simultaneously noticed thick smoke spreading on the other side of the corridor. We went to investigate out of curiosity. The closer we got, the hotter it became—the heat was surging toward the sky. We were drenched in sweat, and my head began to feel heavy. Only then did we hear someone downstairs shouting: 'Fire! Fire!'

We panicked and tried to leave. When we reached the staircase, it felt as if the entire stairwell was already ablaze. We didn't have time to prepare, but we weren't sure how large the fire was, so we thought perhaps we could use the emergency fire extinguisher to put out some of the local flames and carve out a path to safety. But as the saying goes, 'distant water cannot put out a nearby fire.' That small extinguisher was useless against the rapidly spreading inferno. My old friend, who was a few years older than me and lived alone, was actually calmer than I was. I, however, was desperate to find help, so I kept shouting at the top of my lungs, hoping the firefighters would hear our calls before we collapsed.

The Final Moments

I always believed in the efficiency of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department, but I didn't know how massive the fire was or how wide its reach had become. I held onto hope, using every ounce of my strength to try to escape that path filled with thick smoke and flames. My friend patted me gently and said, 'Old Chen, I don't think I can make it. I can't breathe. You should run!' I knew I couldn't escape either; the only staircase had been blocked by the raging fire. It was no longer just scattered flames, but a full-scale inferno on the floor.

I said, 'It's alright, I will try one last time to see if there is another way out.' By then, he had already lost consciousness. I, too, began to feel dizzy and disoriented, losing my sense of direction. I only knew that the fire was reaching us, and a stinging sensation began to burn up my legs. As for my friend, I had no strength left to care for him—I couldn't even save myself. So, as I lost consciousness, I watched him be consumed by the sea of fire. That was how two old men met their end. It was truly cruel and painful. My body was in agony, and in my heart, I kept thinking of the things I hadn't finished and the people I felt guilty toward—especially my wife, who surely couldn't return and must have been anxiously waiting for news of me. Life is like that; nothing is truly in our control.

Awakening in the Pure Land

The excruciating pain in my body forced one final roar from me. I died in utter helplessness, not far from my friend. When I woke up, I felt as if I had just slept deeply, but things were different. I was dead! This was my spirit, not my body. It turns out the world after death really does exist—a fact I can only verify now. My friend looked at me with a blank expression; we both knew who we were—we had died together in the fire. The world after death was not as terrifying as I had imagined; it was just a bit dim, and it felt as if there were no goals. What could I do from here on out? Even then, I was still thinking about doing something; it seems the habits of decades are not easy to break. My heart couldn't stay idle, but I seemed to have truly left the world I knew. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't help anyone. This is the lack of freedom for a spirit—just drifting, quite boring. But I didn't have as many thoughts as I did when I was alive; only that feeling of pain lingered, because the death was so tragic.

Then, a light shone upon us, and I realised there was an exit. I don't know how much time passed, but such a turn of events occurred. I didn't have time to think too much before I evaporated and arrived in the heavens. It is a vast place with lotus flowers and many, many people. Everyone is resting on densely packed lotus flowers; it is very comfortable, more comfortable than any bed. I felt as if I were asleep, arriving in this place in a state of extreme exhaustion, and I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, nothing had changed, except that I heard voices soothing us, speaking words of comfort. I am not sure if it was Namo Amituofo or Practitioner Su, but I know they are both Buddhas who save people.

A Debt of Gratitude

After slowly regaining my senses, I began to understand that Namo Amituofo is already on Earth, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Practitioner Su is also a Buddha, but because his human body is still present, he looks very approachable, like a kind grandmother, with a smile that is very endearing. The Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo makes us feel very comfortable; all the scars on our bodies have healed, and we are even better than we were before the fire. Most of us listen to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, which are the teachings of Namo Amituofo. In the human world, this is truly a very special temple! I used to go to temples to pray and offer incense, but the temple I see now is so extraordinary. There is someone who can hear my story, and there is a place called the Western Dharma-Nature Land that can accommodate so many of us departed spirits—this is something I never imagined while I was alive.

It is so special. I only later learned that this is something an awakened being can do, and I realised that the Buddha’s teachings are not the religion I once knew, but an education that everyone can learn. Everything I have seen and heard since arriving in the Western Dharma-Nature Land has left me in awe! I am filled with joy and gratitude that I have Buddhist affinity and that I can now be in such a wonderful place. I am overflowing with gratitude.

To my family in the human world, especially my wife, I hope everyone can visit the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, otherwise, the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is truly unavoidable. If I, Chen Youming, had not gone through this salvation by the Buddha, I do not know where I would be spending my days or for how long—it is quite terrifying to think about. Therefore, I hope everyone will learn the Buddha’s teachings; otherwise, there will only be suffering and no happy days. I hope everyone will chant Buddha's name. Namo Amituofo."

Namo Amituofo.

Chen Youming