Hall of Life

Flowers, especially the lotus flower and the peony, have long been a recurring theme across Buddhist mysticism and Chinese culture, with their powerful symbolism contributing to their timeless appeal. The Hall of Life captures this fascination with flowers, offering a heartwarming retrospective on the beauty of the life of the departed.

This starts with the golden livery of each niche, which provides a resplendent backdrop for etchings of lotus flowers in full bloom. The lotus flower reprises its role as a gilded statuette in the embrace of Amitābha Buddha.

As one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism, the lotus flower - which grows in muddy waters but rises above the surface to blossom as a pristine flower - embodies the purity of each soul as he or she breaks free from worldly attachments and other karmic obstacles.

Each niche also opens to reveal a vase of peonies in miniature, set among a reimagination of a traditional Chinese pavilion. The sight is modelled in the vein of an imperial garden from ancient China, where the peony thrived and earned the title of ‘King of Flowers’.

To this day, it remains an icon of prosperity, honour and wealth, signifying that a soul has fulfilled his or her ultimate potential in life on Earth.