Luo Huiying 駱慧瑛. Guanxin zizai xianggang guanyindan yu guanyin xinyang tanyuan 觀心自在：香港觀音誕與觀音信仰探源 [Contemplating the Mind at Ease: The Origin of the Guanyin Festivals and Worship in Hong Kong]. Hong Kong: Cosmo Publishing, 2020.
Speaker: Irene Lok (University of Cambridge)
Date and time: Thursday, 12 June, 2025 – 14:00
Location: Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 9DA, University of Cambridge
Abstract: The Guanyin Festival, dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Compassion, remains one of Hong Kong’s most vibrant and enduring religious and cultural traditions. Rooted in centuries-old devotional practices, the festival embodies a unique convergence of spiritual reverence, community life, and intangible heritage. This lecture explores the Guanyin Festival not only as a religious observance but also as a living cultural tapestry—resonating with echoes of compassion, resilience, and renewal in contemporary society. Drawing upon ethnographic encounters, visual documentation, and heritage discourse, the talk will trace how the festival continues to evolve while anchoring collective memory and identity in an ever-changing urban landscape. In doing so, it invites reflection on the significance of intangible cultural heritage as both a vessel of tradition and a wellspring of human connection.
Speaker: Irene Lok, Ph.D. is a Visiting Scholar and Visiting Fellow at University of Cambridge and Robinson College. An interdisciplinary scholar in Buddhist Studies. Her research spans Buddhist murals and manuscripts in Dunhuang and Turfan, and Guanyin Sūtra in China. She is an Honorary Art Advisor and Research Fellow at Jao Tsung-I Petite École at University of Hong Kong and a member of the Chinese Association of Dunhuang and Turfan Studies. Her first book, Contemplating the Mind at Ease: The Origin of the Guanyin Festivals and Worship in Hong Kong (Cosmo Publishing, 2020) was awarded the Next Writer Publication Funding Scheme and the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Award (2021).
“Book Culture in Buddhism and Beyond” Lecture Series:
This new lecture series, launching in Michaelmas Term 2023, features talks on writing and publishing in the Buddhist tradition and in related religious and cultural spheres. Lectures in this series offer insights into the various ways in which writing and printing has been shaping Buddhism, as well as the multifaceted impact of Buddhism on book culture in East Asia, past, present, and future.
Registration is not required. The lectures are free and open to scholars, students, and the public.
Please note: all events take place in person at the University of Cambridge. Exact times and location will be circulated via email and posted on the webpage of Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
This lecture series is organised by Dr Noga Ganany (ng462@cam.ac.uk) in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge with the generous support of the Glorisun Global Network.
