Maureen Tai
When a statue of a Chinese god is no longer needed, as in the case of the Goddess of Mercy statuette belonging to my Yi Ma (mother’s eldest sister) who passed away unexpectedly last year, it’s best to return it to a Buddhist or Taoist temple. There, religious professionals will take care of the figurine, to properly and respectfully release its divine energy back into nature. Sadly, despite the potential karmic repercussions and how staunchly superstitious most of Hong Kong society is, improperly discarded deities abound on the island city that I used to call home.
Over the years, I find myself seeking out one particular visage among the unwanted gods. Perhaps it’s a female thing, Girl Power and all that. There she is, in a secondhand stall on Hollywood Road, offered for the same price as a tacky Chairman Mao souvenir miniature mug. Over here, Kuan Yin (as she is also known), tucked away in a grassless nook along a hillside path, clustered with other abandoned comrades in faith. In that corner of the quiet alleyway, and over there, pushed onto a stone ledge, just above eye level, so as to remain someone’s secret shame. My trail ends at the no-entry zone beyond Waterfall Bay Park in Pokfulam, a divine dumping ground comprised of several levels of craggy rock faces beside a frothing open sea. The gods are multitudinous, and their statues in varying states of decrepitude, the result of being exposed to the elements. It is a glorious sight.
Wherever the castaway Goddess stands, there I stand before her with my own brokenness, palms pressed together, eyes downcast, a well-worn mantra on my lips.
Maureen Tai has a multi-faceted literary career as an award-winning published children’s author, adult fiction and non-fiction writer, accidental poet, book reviewer and literacy advocate. Her works have appeared in Cha, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the Baltimore Review, Kyoto Journal, Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, Does It Have Pockets, Ricepaper Magazine, The Hooghly Review, Fieldfare Press and Porch Lit Magazine, among others. She is also a speaker, moderator and visual storyteller, having managed the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in 2023 and presented at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2025. Maureen’s work can be found at www.maureentai.com. X: @MaureenTai
Photos by Maureen Tai
