The Final Watch of a Wang Fuk Court Hero

This is a record of an interview with Zhang Wu, 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 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 6, 2025.

Zhang Wu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. At this very moment, I feel incredibly light and joyful. I am wandering freely in a place called the Western Dharma-Nature Land, stepping upon lotus flowers and listening to the sacred Buddha-name. I have even encountered some familiar faces here. In the past, we might have passed each other in the hallways or exchanged brief greetings, but we never truly spoke. Now, to be reunited in this other realm—especially after surviving such a harrowing ordeal—is truly a remarkable experience. It is a joy to see them again.

I am Zhang Wu. My father’s surname is Zhang, and my mother’s is Wu. By nature, I have always been a free spirit, and I got along famously with everyone at Wang Fuk Court. I was the kind of person who brought people together, fostering harmony within the neighbourhood. I spent several years in Hong Kong, but I was always a bit of a drifter, never really having a permanent place to call home. I spent my entire life running, wandering, until today, when I suddenly found a home—the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is something I never could have imagined in all my forty-two years. I chose to remain single, as that was simply my way of life. Fortunately, my passing did not place an undue burden on any family, and to be able to depart in such a glorious way and arrive in this Pure Land—my life has truly reached a perfect conclusion."

The Hero of Wang Fuk Court

"I served as a residential officer for the units at Wang Fuk Court. My daily work involved providing for the residents, arranging necessary repairs, managing safety matters, and handling all sorts of miscellaneous tasks. When necessary, I would patrol the various floors to understand how everyone was living and to see where improvements could be made. These were all my responsibilities. I was especially attentive to the elderly living alone; whenever time permitted, I would sit with them, chat, and keep up with their lives. I was like the 'knight-errant' of Wang Fuk Court. Even at forty-two, I didn't look my age—people often mistook me for a young man in his thirties. I was approachable, so I naturally made the most of my greatest strength: providing people with peace of mind and companionship."

The Night the Alarms Fell Silent

"In truth, I was one of the first to know that the fire had broken out. I was in the middle of patrolling our building, moving floor by floor from the top down. Our building was right next to the one where the fire started, and the flames spread rapidly from the source to my location. Because our building was sealed tight like a sardine tin, those who were unaware had no idea that the neighbouring block was ablaze. But I was different. Once I received the emergency notification from the other building, I immediately began sounding the alarm in ours. It was only then that I discovered, to my horror, that the unified alarm system had failed! Not a single sound came out! I began to panic, knowing that time was running out.

I quickly moved to alert each floor, urging everyone to help call out their neighbours and telling them to run for their lives! Although I was only one person, I used my voice and my connections to exert as much influence as I could. I had a megaphone—it wasn't very loud, but it was better than nothing. I remained relatively calm, as I was already accustomed to a life without many attachments. For me, life and death were temporarily pushed aside because I was doing something meaningful."

A Peaceful Departure Amidst the Chaos

"At that critical juncture, I kept directing everyone to evacuate in an orderly fashion. I realised that those on the lower floors had a better chance of escaping, and as I kept moving downward, I simply didn't have the time or strength to go back up to warn the higher floors. I still carry a sliver of regret and guilt for those people. With the fire spreading rapidly and the thick smoke closing in, I knew the clock was ticking, so I pushed people even harder to escape. By then, the sounds of crying and screaming were everywhere. The fire was truly raging, and the acrid, choking smoke made it difficult for some to breathe or find their way out. I had been carrying a small bucket of water, but it was quickly used up by people taking turns to soak their cloths. The building had no water and no electricity; only the dim, dark daylight provided any visibility for the people trying to flee.

I was exhausted. My spirit and my strength seemed completely spent, and I fainted in an instant. I am not sure if it was due to extreme fatigue, the inhalation of massive amounts of smoke, or the pain of being singed by the flames—I just blacked out. I believe that before I died, I was still in one piece, as my body had not yet been consumed by the fire. My life in Wang Fuk Court came to a perfect end. Although it was painful, everything happened so quickly that I didn't even have time to truly feel the suffering. I just collapsed. Perhaps this was Heaven’s mercy toward me—a sign of compassion because I was a decent person, allowing me to leave without enduring prolonged agony."

Awakening in the Light

"I did feel some self-reproach at first. Although the failure of the alarm system was not directly my fault, I felt I should have discovered it sooner and pushed for fire drills in the building. Such things were not common in large residential complexes like ours, and because it was so much trouble to organise, the matter had been delayed until it was too late.

Let me tell you about life after death... I felt that it wasn't much different from my life before. I seemed to still be conscious of my responsibilities, and I found myself trying to help evacuate people within that space. At the time, I was a bit confused about life and death; it felt like a dream where I was trying to help people escape, but I wasn't sure if it was just a dream—much like how I wasn't initially sure if I had truly died.

Everything happened so fast. In an instant, the entire floor suddenly brightened, and it seemed as if the ceiling had vanished, revealing a brilliant light above. I was curious—why did the building look so different? Had rescuers arrived? I began to float, and it was only then that I started to wake up. 'Ah, I have died?' There were so many people around me floating just like I was. We had all lost our physical bodies; we were all spirits moving about. And we were all moving toward that great light above—it was so bright, so full of hope. We were finally saved! I didn't hesitate; I entered the light with a calm heart until I arrived in this other world."

A New Life in the Western Dharma-Nature Land

"Haha, I believe that good people are rewarded. However, the moment I arrived in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I knew that those around me were very sad and panicked. This made my heart feel a bit sorrowful when I first arrived. It seemed as if everyone was still unable to recover from the aftermath of the disaster, so this state of confusion lasted for several days. I quietly accompanied them and began to enter the next phase of my existence. I started listening to the Buddha-name, trying to calm myself. Naturally, I was able to accept this transformation of life relatively quickly because my heart was already quite settled.

There were a few people around whom I recognised, but most seemed to be in a closed-off state, still healing, so I did not disturb them. It is so comfortable here. Later, I met Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and I learned that the Buddha’s world is truly wonderful. I made a vow to believe in the Buddha, to study the Buddha’s teachings, and to become a disciple of the Buddha. I didn't have the affinity to encounter the Buddha’s teachings while I was alive, but now I am so fortunate to have arrived in a Buddha-land. Of course, I also learned about the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I know that is where I will go in the future. I wait quietly on a lotus flower, filled with anticipation, listening to the Buddhist music and feeling the peace and serenity of this place. The Western Dharma-Nature Land is a place constantly illuminated by Buddha-light. Furthermore, chanting the Buddha’s name and making prostrations can make the Buddha-light even brighter; it is as if the Buddha is bestowing blessings upon me, shining light for me. I am so grateful for this opportunity to know this brand-new world, which has given me a new life and taught me that helping others and saving oneself can be achieved to the point of ultimate perfection. Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are my teachers from now on. I, Zhang Wu, want to chant the Buddha’s name loudly and convey the beauty of the Buddha and the Buddha-land to my family, friends, and all those with karmic affinity in the human world. I want to give everyone a chance to know and believe in the Buddha’s teachings, so they don't just spend their lives pursuing the desires and attachments of their physical bodies.

I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha, grateful for the guidance of Practitioner Su’s Ultimate Vow, and grateful for everything I have encountered in this life. Let us chant the Buddha’s name!"

Namo Amituofo.

Zhang Wu