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In Hong Kong, Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, which this year lands on May 15.
Hong Kong declared it a public holiday in 1998; Buddhism is a major religion in the city, with more than 1 million followers among the population of roughly 7.5 million. To mark the occasion, thousands of worshippers visit Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout Hong Kong, with some eating only vegetarian meals as a way to “cleanse” their digestive systems. Lanterns are lit to symbolise the Buddha’s enlightenment, while altars are decorated with incense and offerings. Who was the Buddha? Buddha’s Birthday, marked on different days around the region, is a celebration of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in a kingdom just below the Himalayan foothills sometime during the sixth or fifth century BC. The philosopher and spiritual teacher founded Buddhism, now the world’s fourth-largest religion with more than 500 million followers globally. Siddhartha’s spiritual journey started when he left his family’s lap of luxury, determined to break free of his privileged life and fully understand suffering. He fasted for long periods while engaging in meditation, and is believed to have achieved enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi tree. This was when Siddhartha became the Buddha, the word derived from the Sanskrit word budh, which loosely translates as “one who is awake”. What rituals does Buddha’s Birthday include? Buddha’s Birthday is sometimes referred to as the Bathing of the Buddha Festival because a key ritual is for worshippers to use a ladle to pour water over a statue of Buddha, an act that symbolises the purification and cleansing of the soul. The ritual also involves bowing and the offering of prayers. For centuries, Buddha recognised the need to respect all living things. But one ritual carried out on his birthday, the practice of mercy release – freeing captured animals in the belief the act brings a person good karma – has come under fire from animal welfare groups. Many of the animals are weak and sick when bought for mercy release and are often caught from the wild just for the purpose of the ritual, according to Hong Kong’s Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG). “It is a sad irony that many wild animals are captured specifically to be released later,” a KFBG spokesman says. “Many are injured or die during capture and during transportation, due to shortage of food and water. Many are already sick and very weak, with minimal chance of survival.” Where to celebrate Buddha’s Birthday in Hong Kong? The Buddha’s Light International Association of Hong Kong is hosting a series of family-friendly events in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on May 15. Celebrations include a vegetarian food fair, flower show, arts and crafts, and a kids’ entertainment zone. Purifying rituals such as bathing the Buddha, wish-making and meditating will also be held. The Hong Kong Buddhist Association is holding a three-day celebration at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon, from May 15-17. The programme includes ceremonies for bathing, lantern lighting and chanting, as well as talks. One of the major celebrations in Hong Kong takes place at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, near the Tian Tan Buddha statue. Also referred to as the Big Buddha, the 34-metre-tall (112ft) bronze statue, completed in 1993, is the world’s largest seated Buddha statue. On May 15, a Buddha bathing ceremony will be held in the monastery’s Hall of the Great Hero. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (Man Fat Tsz) in Pai Tau Village, Sha Tin, in the New Territories, is one of Hong Kong’s most famous Buddhist temples and most popular tourist attractions. On May 15, Buddha bathing ceremonies will take place, along with the serving of complimentary vegetarian noodles. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival also coincides with the celebration of Buddha’s Birthday. Also known as the Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival, it is believed to have originated in the 18th or 19th century to celebrate the end of a plague. Highlights include the Piu Sik (“floating colour”) Parade and the bun-snatching competition, which sees participants scramble up bamboo towers to grab as many hanging buns as possible. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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The video-sharing platform YouTube on Tuesday said it would block access inside Hong Kong to 32 links featuring the protest anthem "Glory to Hong Kong" in compliance with a court injunction that provoked strong criticism from rights groups. The Hong Kong government has deemed the song, which was sung widely at anti-government protests in 2019, to be a danger to security in the semi-autonomous Chinese region. In approving the government's application to ban the song, Hong Kong's Court of Appeal agreed it could be "weaponized" and used to incite secession. What did YouTube say?
YouTube said that although it was complying with the recent injunction by the court, it was concerned that such moves could damage the city's reputation as a reliable place to do business. "We are disappointed by the Court's decision but are complying with its removal order," YouTube said in a statement. "We'll continue to consider our options for an appeal, to promote access to information," it said, adding that it shared the concerns of human rights groups that the ban undermined freedom of expression. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Students from China and Hong Kong who are studying at European or North American universities may be far away from home, but they are also menacingly within reach of their home governments.
The message we get, Chinese student Rowan* told the human rights organization Amnesty International is: "You are being watched, and though we are on the other side of the planet, we can still reach you." Rowan is one of 32 students Amnesty interviewed for its report entitled "On My Campus, I Am Afraid." Researchers sought to document China's transnational repression at universities and spoke with Chinese students in eight countries: Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and the United States. The real names of all individuals and universities have been withheld in order to protect their identities. Threats against families in China Rowan told Amnesty that she took part in a commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre that was held in the city where she studies. Commemorating the bloody suppression of the pro-democracy movement that took place in Beijing on June 4, 1989, is banned in China and Hong Kong. Only a few hours after the protest, Rowan's father contacted her from China, saying security officials had told him to keep his daughter from taking part in events that could damage China's reputation in the world. Rowan had not given her name to anyone and had not reported on her participation anywhere. Amnesty also spoke with Chinese students in Europe. Before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Paris earlier this month, Yongzhe* told DW that Chinese authorities threatened those who planned to organize demonstrations and paid visits to their families in China. This kind of thing happens frequently, Yongzhe added. Amnesty International concluded that it's not only the students who are getting the message. "Exercising freedom of expression is not acceptable. No matter where you are, whether in Germany, France or elsewhere, there is no way to escape China's surveillance." The students' family members back in China are also being threatened, Theresa Bergmann told DW. She is an Asia expert with the German branch of Amnesty International. "For example, there have been threats to confiscate passports, terminate jobs and cut pensions or restrict educational opportunities if students continue their activities abroad," she said." These attempts at intimidation are coming from government officials in China," said Bergmann. Accounts of Chinese repression Many students from China and Hong Kong studying overseas live in fear of intimidation and surveillance, according to Amnesty International, with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities trying to prevent them from raising controversial issues. Authorities have targeted any show of solidarity with the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and the 2022 White Paper protests in China, in which people used blank sheets of white paper to protest against draconian measures to curb the COVID-19 measures imposed and against restrictions on freedom of expression. Bergmann said Amnesty has raised the allegations with authorities in China and Hong Kong. "We have not received any response from mainland China," she said, adding that "a sort of denial" had come from Hong Kong. Students are a particularly vulnerable group because of their residency status and financial situation, she explained. Amnesty's researchers cannot speak for all of the estimated 900,000 Chinese students living abroad, but the accounts of repression are similar across borders and match previously known cases. In 2023, the investigative platform Correctiv reported on how China tightly controls students who have received scholarships from the government's China Scholarship Council in Germany and prevents them from making any critical statements. WeChat used to spy on students online One student who took part in a protest and then took a selfie in front of the embassy reported that she was followed on her way from the embassy to the subway," said Bergmann, describing an account from a student in Germany. When students are followed or photographed at protests, it has not always been clear whether this was on behalf of the Chinese government. Online surveillance plays a very important role. There are many indications that the Chinese app WeChat provides data to the government in Beijing. "We have cases where WeChat accounts have been closed or content blocked because people have spoken out openly about protests," Amnesty states in its report, calling this the "Great Firewall." Students rely on state-approved apps like WeChat to communicate with relatives and friends in China, even though it may be monitored. Surveillance and intimidation are frightening Chinese and Hong Kong students studying abroad, Amnesty reported. This has resulted in emotional stress and even depression. "I sought support from the university's psychological counselling service after having psychological problems, but they had little understanding of the Chinese context and were unable to provide effective support," student Xing Dongzhe* said. Some students sever ties with their families in order to protect them, said Bergmann. Almost half of those interviewed are afraid to return home. Six said they wanted to apply for asylum in the country where they were studying The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Hong Kong’s retail sales dropped 7 per cent in March from a year ago, with the sector marking its worst performance in two years as it faced a double whammy of rent increases and residents spending across the border during the long Easter holiday.
Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Friday showed sales in March reached HK$31.2 billion. It was the first contraction after 15 consecutive months of improvement since December 2022 when a 1.2 per cent rise was logged. It also marked the sharpest contraction since March 2022 when retail sales were down 13.8 per cent year on year. A government spokesman said the decline in retail sales in March was partly due to a high base of comparison for visitor spending and the Easter holidays. “Looking ahead, further revival of inbound tourism and rising household income should remain supportive to the retail sector. The government’s efforts to promote a mega event economy and boost sentiment should also help,” he said. “Yet, the changing consumption patterns of visitors and residents may continue to pose challenges. The government will continue to monitor the situation.” The poor retail sales figures followed the government’s latest estimate on Thursday for gross domestic product growth, forecast at 2.7 per cent year on year for the first quarter. Across the first three months, which included Lunar New Year and the Easter holiday, retail sales fell 1.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2023. Online sales in March dipped by 4.7 per cent year on year, with transactions of HK$2.4 billion accounting for 7.8 per cent of the total retail figure. For the first three months, online numbers decreased by 10.7 per cent from the same period in 2023. Hongkongers made more than 1.5 million outbound trips during the first three days of the Easter holiday in late March, nearly five times the number of arrivals in the same period.Arrivals in the first three days of the Easter break this year dropped 35 per cent compared with 2018, before anti-government protests rocked the city and the pandemic wrought havoc on global travel. Outbound trips by residents rose 16 per cent this year against 2018 levels. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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