Circuit of Cemeteries

Grave sweeping is customarily done twice a year. I often take the opportunity to visit other cemeteries around Hong Kong. Often to pay my respects to people who have my respect.  Such as my own teachers, relatives, friends, famous people in history.   Sometimes my runs also take me pass, or through cemeteries.  

Gradually I realize one can learn a lot about Hong Kong through the cemeteries.  

Starting from the obvious - the burning of incense and candles in the Chinese Cemetery in Aberdeen.  

Treasures, valuables, and necessities in the underworld.  Made of paper.  Sent to the dead by burning.  

Is dim sum a necessity?  At least it is food, such an important part of Chinese culture.  

But, On the other hand, at the St. Raphael Catholic Cemetery, in Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon, burning of incense and paper products are banned.  

People are warned to not leave food behind. 

In Happy Valley, five cemeteries line up in a row: Muslim, Catholic St. Michael, Hong Kong, Parsee and Hindu. 

There are a lot of people surnamed Ma in the Muslim cemetery.  

To the north west, the Muslim cemetery overlooks the Sikh Temple. 

To the south, the Muslim cemetery overlooks the Catholic St. Michael cemetery.  

Several of my teachers, brothers and fathers of the Salesian order, are buried there.  Some of them made deep impressions on me and my fellow classmates.  

The Salesian mission to the disadvantaged youths is one of the important formative factors in my life.

Many interesting people rest there.  Including one of the most famous actresses in the 1960s, Ms. Lin Dai 林黛.   

So many different religions co-exist in Hong Kong, peacefully. They may not be friends. They may not even like each other.  But there is respect.  Live and let live. 

Beyond St. Michael, is Hong Kong Cemetery.  With its colonial, Christian heritage.  Many soldiers of the British Navy are buried there.  Also quite a few missionaries.  

A husband and wife, Frederick and Elizabeth Cookson, died within 2 days of each other, in a Cholera outreach in 1883. 

Sir Ho Tung, one of the most famous, and richest person in early Hong Kong history, was buried there. 

There are also many Freemasons. 

The Parsee cemetery is beautiful, but not open to the public. 

There is a Christian (Protestant) cemetery on Junction road, in Kowloon City.  Originally kind of a distance outside of the city, no doubt.  But now surrounded by buildings.  At the top of the hill, the tombstones are at the same level, and blend in very well, with the high rise apartment blocks behind them.  

One of the many differences between Chinese and Western burials.  Western cemeteries tend to be on flat, open spaces.  Some are shaded by trees.  

The Chinese like to bury their dead on hill sides, perhaps even on top.  There may be small trees to decorate the place.  But not big trees that loom over the grave.  The best is to have the grave look out into open space in the distance.  Preferably towards open water. 

In Hong Kong, however, open space tend to be built over, eventually.  Hence many cemeteries are now hemmed in by tall apartment blocks.  So many graves, laid down decades ago, now look towards apartments with people living in them.  And vice versa. Such is life in Hong Kong.