Wilson Lau New Media

My final project is taking shape. I’ve just finished the drafts of the three articles that will be my contribution to New Media Workshop’s Hong Kong Stories. The articles are: one on the overall changes of Buddhism and activities organized by Buddhist organizations, the other two focus on changes in academic studies of the religion and why it has become more popular in Hong Kong since the handover. 

I did a telephone interview with the editor of the bi-weekly Buddhist publication Buddhist Compassion, Ms Elaine Chan, and gained a better understanding of the flourishing development of the religion and Buddhist organizations in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong people interested in the religion have got greater access to the religion, thanks to a more modern approach to spreading the Buddha’s teaching adopted by Taiwanese Buddhist organizations. I was not able to have a face-to-face interview with Ms Chan because she has been busy with checking the blueprint of the latest issues of her publication. But I did visit her office in Wanchai and took photos. These pictures will illustrate my articles.

Yesterday I interviewed the very enthusiatic visiting professor at the Centre of Buddhist Studies at University of Hong Kong, Y. Karunadasa. He explained to me howthe academic approach adopted by the university was different from the traditional monastic approach in the past. And it is a major reason that Buddhism has become more appealing to the intellectuals in Hong Kong.

 Hong Kong’s Buddhism has experienced a boom because the city has become a hub of different schools of the religion. Organizations from Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Tibet, among others, have established branches here to spread the Dharma (The Way). Buddhism and its studies have united people in Greater China as they have found spiritual ideology as the common ground, Professor Karunadasa said.

I will sort out the relevant websites and RSS feeds soon which will accompany my articles.