Light On The Lotus Hill

Article and photo  by Hélène Vigeant
Photo Below: Shuang Lin Monastery

Judy Smith has again demonstrated her uncanny ability to uncover Singapore’s off-the-beaten track and well-kept secrets with the March 9th “Light on the Lotus Hill” Tour. Led by anthropologist and author, Chan Chow Wah, we discovered the little-known story of Buddhist Venerable Pu Liang, the 10th Abbot of Shuang Lin
Monastery and fervent supporter of the China Relief Fund in Singapore during the dark days of the Sino-Japanese War. The Venerable Pu Liang was the only Buddhist Abbot executed by the Japanese during the Sook Ching, the Japanese occupation of the island.

Mr. Chan generously shared his considerable knowledge of Singapore and China in the 1930s leading up to the Sook Ching. To evoke the spirit of the times, our guide started the tour at the Ee Hoe Hean Club in Chinatown, the Chinese Millionaires’ Club and the headquarters of the China Relief Fund in South-East Asia during the Sino-Japanese War. He also played some of the then-popular music and even passed around some rose-distilled water on perfume-sampling paper to vividly conjure up the ambiance of the times.

At the Shuang Lin Monastery, we learned about the remarkable fund-raising event held on May 28th 1939. The Abbot showed superb marketing skills, even providing bus service to ferry the supporters to and from Balestier Road. He succeeded in raising $10,000, a very handsome sum for the times.

Some of the money raised went to training the 3,200 drivers who travelled on the vitally important Burma Road that spanned between China and Lashio in Burma. Unfortunately, half of the drivers and mechanics (men and women) did not return home. Sadly, the story ends with the Abbott and his two assistants being detained in Jalan Besar Stadium before being taken to Changi Beach where they were executed.

The book “Light on the Lotus Hill” admirably retraces the Abbot’s life, compassion and humanity in difficult times.