‘From big renovation to big burial’: Wang Fuk Court residents return to mark Ching Ming

Thousands of Hongkongers braved thundery and rainy weather on Ching Ming Festival on Sunday to sweep tombs, with some distraught Wang Fuk Court residents returning to the fire-ravaged site to mourn.It was the first Ching Ming Festival for more than 5,000 displaced residents at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, the site of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948. The inferno claimed 168 lives after the blaze broke out on November 26 and spread across seven of the estate’s eight towers.During the festival, many Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to pay their respects, clean the site and make ritual offerings.Against the backdrop of gloomy skies and showers, a couple who introduced themselves as Mr Yau, 78, and Mrs Yau, 70, sat on a bench next to the housing estate, silently gazing at the charred buildings.They spent an hour on public transport on Sunday morning to mourn their lost neighbours and friends.“No one expected the big renovation to end up as a big burial,” Mr Yau said.