Blurbs on Light of the Lotus Hill

This book helps remind us of an important period in East Asian history - and of one of the many exceptional persons living in the midst of it.

Professor Charles Stafford,
Department of Anthropology,
London School of Economics

While those engaged in research on the Second World War and the history of Singapore in the 20th century are numerous, the same cannot be said of those reconstructing the vicissitudes of the "Nanyang Volunteers".

These "volunteers", a motley band of brave men and women who came from all over Southeast Asia, subjected themselves to various trials and training in preparation for deployment to the Sino-Burmese border in the late 1930s-early 1940s to aid China in her war effort against Japan.

Shuang Lin Monastery in Singapore, then under the abbotship of the Venerable Pu Liang, was a training ground for this Herculean endeavour. The author, an anthropologist, has made an intrepid – and timely - attempt to document and immortalise the hitherto little-known contributions of this group of civilian-heroes, who together with a valiant Venerable, paid the ultimate price for their patriotism and pluck. Light on the Lotus Hill is a compelling and inspiring story of history, heroism and hope.

Ms Lee Su Yin,
author of “Beyond Silken Robes: Profiles of Selected Chinese Entrepreneurs in Singapore” and “Rock Solid: The Corporate Career of Tan Chin Tuan”

几年前，得知曾鉊华计划写一本书记录新加坡双林寺住持普亮法师为祈求和平而牺牲的事例与精神，我感到十分欣慰。现在书已定稿，即将正式出版公开面世。我作为史学爱好者，谨以此短文表示祝贺，并对作者为留住这段历史所作的努力表示感谢。

普亮法师和3200多名南侨机工一样，一方面是出于爱国和尊严，为救助祖国和同胞于危难而出力，另一方面又是出于慈悲为怀，祈求和平与安宁，尽力救世。

普亮法师为和平事业而牺牲，他是善终。

陈毅明，
华侨博物院（厦门）原院长

This book is a welcome addition to our own Singapore, Southeast Asian collection at the National Library.  Mr. Chan Chow Wah's effort in meticulously documenting the contributions of Venerable Pu Liang and his followers is indeed commendable and fills a significant knowledge gap in the region's socio-political history.  NLB is pleased that Mr. Chan's stint as a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow at the National Library contributed towards this book.

Ms Ngian Lek Choh,
Director, National Library Singapore

Back to Light on the Lotus Hill main page

Venerable Pu Liang

Shuang Lin Monastery

Nanyang Volunteers on the Burma Road

A monument in Kunming dedicated
to the Nanyang Volunteers