Vignettes of the World
The tour left Standley Chasm for Ellery Creek, where we would have our picnic lunch. The Ellery Creek Big Hole is an oasis in the desert, with a body of water large enough in which to swim. In fact, the Ellery Creek Big Hole is …
We left Simpson’s Gap in less than an hour and arrived at Standley Chasm soon. The Standley Chasm measures 80 meters in height and 5 meters in width. To the Western Arrernte aborigines, who are its original occupiers, Stanley Chasm is known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning “the …
I refer to the Outback as a colloquial reference to the part of Australian hinterland that comes with a vast expanse of desert and an enormous diversity in natural endowment. If one must put a finger on the proper names, the Outback is located in the state called Northern Territory, smack in the top middle part of Australia.
The morning rays ushered in the most beautiful of the Outback’s views. The West Macdonnell National Park is a very popular site for nature enthusiasts, as opposed to the relatively quieter East Macdonnell. In my opinion, both West and East Macdonnell are must-visit sites in the Outback, as their sceneries differ from the Uluru (and as between each other) in exceptional ways.
In some respects, both West Mac and East Mac present geographical, scenic and cultural features that are significantly more interesting than the Uluru.
There are many different ways to appreciate West Macdonnell, and for common tourists a one-day, 8-hour trip would suffice. For the hiking experts out there, consider doing a weeks-long trip to hike the West Macdonnell trail of 223 kilometers – it’s called the Larapinta trail.
But if you were to take on such adventure, be sure to engage a local tour operator, whose guide will prepare all the necessary supplies and directions (one must not do this without a local guide, for one thing, the desert’s climate conditions call for expert advice and provisions).
I highly recommend a full-day trip to see West Mac. We went through a long list of sightseeing attractions. Each site was unique, presenting a wide variety in near-unreal sceneries and fun activities, including short hikes, swimming, photography and cultural lessons.
On this day we were making stops at the Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek, the Ochre Pits, Mount Sonder and the Finke River, finally ending the day at the Ormiston Gorge.
I joined this day tour with Autopia and I tip my hat in salute to the tour operator’s professionalism. The tour guide, Brent, was knowledgeable, passionate, and gave clear directions that took care of everybody in the most hospitable ways.
Tjoritja (pronounced “choor-it-cha”) is the native name for West Macdonnell. The Arrernte (Aranda in English) aborigines, who have inhabited in this land for more than 3,500 years, are the ones attributed as the “traditional owners of the land” at West Macdonnell. In Australia’s political parlance, when they assert their claims over native lands, the aborigines are called “traditional owners of the land.”
This idea of “traditional owners of the land” is somewhat interchangeable with the idea of “traditional custodians of the land.” The emergence and use of these terms indicate Australia’s continuous efforts to reconcile its colonial past with the horrors that were committed against the native peoples (they are called aborigines in Australia).
The aborigines have inhabited 65,000 years on the coast of Australia. They pride in 250 different languages and 700 different dialects. Each aboriginal tribes understand themselves as a “country.” Collectively, they are called “First Nations.”
The fact that the aborigines are being designated “traditional owners (custodians) of the land” expresses a willingness, as a matter of national policy, to recognize their first claim to Australia’s lands, long before its nationhood came into existence.
Central in the word “custodianship” is the idea that the aborigines, despite being incredibly diverse as different peoples, all share a concerned approach in their relationship with their land and their native environments. In their way of life they appreciate that their survival is closely tied to the condition of the natural environment. They have a responsibility to preserve and protect the land.
We started early in the morning from Alice Springs. I knew that the day would be awesome. Even at 5:30 am, when I woke up, the skies were clear and the birds chirped on the roof of my hotel room. The ride took maybe more than an hour or so, and on the way I already saw the beautiful low ranges afar, laid like a belt on the desert.
There was an abundance of green shrubs. Brent told us that this greenery is unusual for this time of the year, as it is autumn time. Just a month ago, there was torrential rain in the area. It flooded the area so badly that the water rose to the level of the height of a bus. Because the soil is clay-based and it retained the water, it blessed the plants with an unusual appearance of spring verdant. In a normal autumn, the scenery should be brown themed.
The joyful desolation in this endless stretch of emptiness is apparent. This land was, by and large, untouched by human beings’ tendency to waste what they perceive to be owned by no one.
Our first stop was Simpsons Gap. Since we arrived before 8am, we had the whole spot to ourselves as a tour group. As we headed toward the gap on a 15-minute walk, we entered into the embrace of the two plateaued mounts on the side.
The sensations changed as we walked toward the gap. From afar, as the mounts on the side are set against the source of sunlight, I thought the scenery was gray-and-blue-themed. As I proceeded, the colors changed into the warm hue of its red earth. The rocks are rusted at Simpsons Gap.
We were entering into the narrows of the gap itself — at the end of which we came upon a body of water that lied pristine and still beneath the thick, moist and chilly morning air. Brent said that we weren’t supposed to find this much water. It was a natural wonder caused by the severe flood last month.
The Roe Creek flows through the gap as part of the spiritual ambience. I was awed by its serenity. Known as the Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte aborigines, the Simpsons Gap is the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors.
There are a few trails for hiking at the Simpsons Gap, and biking is also a popular activity here.
Brent told us about the Black-footed Rock wallaby that is declining in numbers. As a species they are native in Simpsons Gap. A wallaby is similar to a kangaroo, they are mammalian and marsupial, but they are smaller than a kangaroo. They usually appear at dawn or at dusk.
Also in focus is the Mulga tree. As a desert species, “its dark, fissured bark protects against extreme temperatures, while its needle-like phyllodes — functioning as modified leaves — reduce moisture loss.” The wood of its branches is hard and brittle. As such, the aborigines turned these good qualities into spears.
Our next stop is Standley Chasm.
Autopia’s One-day Tour of the West Macdonnell National Park.
The Wikipedia on First Nations Australian Traditional Custodianship.
Australiawoodwork.com, Mulga (Acacia aneura): The Resilient Heart of Australia’s Arid Landscapes.
Red Centre North Territory, A Guide to Simpsons Gap.
The Australian Outback has captured my imagination for as long as I remember. Although I have been to a number of the eastern coastal cities in Australia, the Outback remained a place of mystery to me. I had thought of that vast desert region to …
In the last entry I discussed the Hong Kong Red Swastika Building. Lying not far away from the Hong Kong Red Swastika Building is the Tin Hau Temple of Causeway Bay. That was one stone, two birds for me. The History of the Tin Hau …
Oh, the Swastika!
Surely that it is a symbol of horror, but in China it stands only for a charitable purpose.
For a very long time, I thought the Red Swastika symbol for the Chinese religious and charitable organization was a flipped version of the Swastika that became associated with Nazi Germany during the first half of the 20th century. But as it turned out, it was the same Swastika. And so, the Chinese voluntary society was called the Red Swastika Society. I haven’t found the reason why Nazi Germany adopted this as its insignia, but suffice to say that the Chinese Red Swastika Society was and it still is meant to be charitable.
The World Red Swastika Society originated from Jinan, in the Province of Shandong in China. At its inception in 1922, the World Red Swastika Society’s charitable purpose mirrored that of the Red Cross, in that there was a religious underpinning to a worldwide charitable vision. It was “The Way to Return to the One,” implying the acceptance of all religions to eventually lead to one universal idea of the good in humanity.
In Hong Kong, the Red Swastika Society’s Chinese name is 「紅卍字會」, showing the actual swastika in its name. As such, most people do not know how to pronounce it. There is a pronunciation of the swastika in Chinese (in Cantonese, “man, 萬” and in Mandarin “wan, 万.”) Its history and representation both intend to present the organization as the “Asian Red Cross.”
Before its proper establishment as a charity in Shandong, the World Red Swastika Society was simply a Taoist monastery. Its religion was somewhat at the fringe in the vast spectrum of Chinese religions. The original World Red Swastika Society in Shandong was established after a process called planchette divination. Thereafter, the organization received its own Taoist scripture as a founding document.
During the early 20th century, a lot of western missionaries were doing their ministries in China. The Chinese people observed that western missionaries always blended religion with their charities. At that time, the Qing dynasty has met its downfall but the Republic of China was still struggling to consolidate its power against the northern warlords. The idea that a Chinese charity that could serve as an alternative to the overall western colonialism agenda was appealing to the warlords. They were the ones that maintained military and administrative stronghold in this part of China at the time.
In 1928, the Republic Government of China accepted the application to establish the World Red Swastika Society as a charitable organization, likely due to the perception that it could counter the influence of western charities led by missionaries. The religious Taoist monastery was denied because the Republic Government was very wary of secret religious societies. Historically, religious organizations were the hotbed for resistance movements against the authority.
In 1931, the charity organization arrived in Hong Kong. The story leading up to the organization’s arrival in Hong Kong was the Jinan Massacre of 1928. At the time, the Republican forces were seeking to take down the northern warlords in its Northern Expedition. Japan was worried that a unified China would impede its chances of a successful invasion. It then stationed its forces in this part of China. During a negotiation, the representatives of the Kuomintang military were brutally killed by Japanese forces. Thereafter, the Japanese entered the compounds of the Kuomintang and also into Jinan itself. A massacre followed.
After this incident, there was an outpour of support from Hong Kong. People made donations to the World Red Swastika Society. When the Shandong representatives came to Hong Kong to collect the donations, they sensed that Hong Kong could be a place for the World Red Swastika Society.
In 1931, the World Red Swastika Society arrived in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government lent a cold shoulder to its application for establishment. The organization struggled in its quest for recognition, and it had to move its venue various times.
At the time, people also did not know how to do planchette divination. By 1938, the divination was done. In that year, when the Sino-Japanese War had already raged in China, the Hong Kong Government finally recognized the value of a charity organization that has salvation as its aim. All things were ready for the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society to become a properly registered charitable organization under Hong Kong law.
After the establishment of the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society as a charity, the next item on the agenda was the construction of its permanent headquarters in Causeway Bay. There were significant financial difficulties. With the generous help of faithful followers, such as Choi Po Tin of Yuen Long, the building was constructed in a year. Choi Po Tin was an architect and owner of a construction and development company. In this process he had to make an enormous personal loan so that the building construction could continue. The financial difficulty was finally resolved with funds donated by a few of the Nam Pei Hong merchants, who were either Cantonese or Shandong in origin.
When its building stood proud and ready to serve Hong Kong in 1940, the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society had the support of prominent figures from the government, business and industry sectors, religious organizations and the general community. The “religious oneness” theme was fully recognized by the religious leaders from various established religions, and they sent representatives to the opening ceremony. Lady Northcote also attended the same.
Photo: Lady Northcote officiated the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society.
Source: The Hong Kong Institute of Asia Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Perhaps that readers would be quite intrigued by the Red Swastika as a symbol. The color red stands for a compassionate heart. In Chinese, the overall square shape of the Red Swastika bears the meaning of “compassion in all directions, reaching everywhere, moving endlessly.” One can easily imagine the spinning of the symbol. When it does spin (it is meant to spin in the anti-clockwise direction), the image shows the shape of the alphabet “O,” signaling “coming full circle,” “harmony,” and “an endless cycle of regeneration.”
The supreme deified figure in Red Swastika Taoism is the teacher of Confucius, by the name of Ding Tuo. Placed at the secondary level are other five figures also considered as deities — as they are the heads of five main religions of the world. That includes the Prophet Mohammed, the Supreme Lord Lao, traditionally revered under Taoism, Jesus Christ and Siddhārtha Gautama of Buddhism. The well-known disciples of these figures are recognized as part of Red Swastika Taoism. Such figures include John the Baptist, Guanyin, Guandi, and Confucius.
This is a type of religion that advocates chiefly the oneness of all world religions. It is believed that all these five figureheads of the key religions of the world are just different manifestations of Ding Tuo, the supreme being of all.
The organization of the Red Swastika Society is surprisingly rigorous. Under the main department that oversees general affairs within the society, there are five sub departments with clearly defined roles and duties, not unlike a proper corporate structure. There is also a women’s chapter in the Red Swastika Society, as women are believed to be more than suitable for charity work.
The Red Swastika Building was constructed during 1939 and 1940. The overall architectural style of the Red Swastika Society is that of the Chinese Renaissance with Art Deco and Modernist influence. This style of architecture was common amongst the “modern” buildings of that historical period. The layout is perfectly symmetric with three tall, slender arched windows. The interior floor tiles and the walls are lined with beautiful Chinese-styled geometric patterns and motifs.
Every detail of the Red Swastika Society building reflects the philosophy of its religion. At the top of the building is the ornate Nam Kwong Pavilion, which stands with a beautiful hexagonal vault inside. It is an altar that is meant to be the venue for the Society’s divinations. The three floors each represents Heavens, Earth and Humans. The twelve rooms are representative of the twelve hours.
It being established in 1940, the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society was ready to commit itself to the relief work for war victims and refugees during WWII. They gave land to the refugees so that they could farm for their own food, as such helping many people survive those difficult times.
The Hong Kong Red Swastika Society continues its charitable mission today. It provides free general medical, ophthalmology and dental services to the people of Hong Kong. Having established itself in Hong Kong, the World Red Swastika Society went on to establish chapters in many other parts of the world.
The Hong Kong Red Swastika Society Building is a Grade 1 Historic Building.
The address of the Red Swastika Society is 25 Dragon Road, Causeway Bay (behind the Tin Hau Temple of Causeway Bay).
Descriptions on site at the Red Swastika Society.
The Antiquities Advisory Board on the Hong Kong Red Swastika Society (No. 399).
Hong Kong Institute of Asia Studies, CUHK, Lunch Lecture Series on the Red Swastika Society and the Chinese Leaders of Charity, held on February 6, 2026.
Explorehk.net, Hong Kong Heritage on the Red Swastika Society (Chin).
The Wikipedia on the Red Swastika Society.
I was looking for a place of worship that has both historical and architectural significance. It came to my attention that the Hung Shing Temple in Wan Chai is a declared monument. I decided to pay a visit. The History of Hung Shing Temple Also …
The Guia Fortress would be the final stop for this historic excursion into the roots of Macau’s proud history. After lunch at Wabi Sabi, I made me way up a gentle incline to the Guia Fortress. Guia Hill is the highest point in the Macau …
The Houhai Zhongxinhe Park (Houhai Central River Park) has been showing some spring colors and I took a walk there in February. The date of visit is February 8, 2026.
Meaning Houhai Central River Park, the recreational space at Houhai Zhongxinhe Park features a large area intended for children. A sandy patch and a Netherlands-styled windmill together welcome children to play. Usually, a windmill would feel a little gaudy in a Chinese park, but this windmill does not appear to be too out of place. The sandy patch is where people can play “beach volleyball.” The vibe there is deliberately “foreign,” but I think it is well done.
From its northern end at Dongbin Lu Road to its southern end at the mouth of the river at Shenzhen Bay, the park covers an area of 64,000 square meters. The park is part of the effort to beautify the coastal area of Shenzhen’s southwest, in the Nanshan District, as with the Guiwan Park in Qianhai (“Qianhai” means “the sea in the front” and “Houhai” means “the sea at the back.”).
The Zhongxinhe River, which is formerly a canal built to address flooding issues only, becomes the central theme of this beautification effort. The banks of the river are extended to connect to the network of footpaths surrounding the park. The rows of purple tabebuia trees on the river bank serve ornamental purposes, especially during the early spring, when the blooming trumpets become the stars of the show.
Both sides of the river are park areas, and there are rows of purple tabebuia lining the banks of the river. If I had gone at an earlier date, then the purple tabebuia would have made a much better scene, but even at the tail end of that floral season, the trees are beautiful.
As with always, I was keen on the photography and so I spent all the time taking pictures. However, the point of visiting the park should be to walk around and enjoy the environment. I did walk from the river area through to the river mouth, which leads one to a 180-degree, wide open sea view. It seems as if the Shenzhen Bay Bridge is within grasp.
The tabebuia impetiginosa (commonly named trumpet tree) is a deciduous tree, which sheds leaves at certain time of the year. The flowers of the purple tabebuia come in a cluster. When viewed closely, you see handfuls of bouquets hung on the branches.
The tabebuia tends to thrive in warm and humid climates, and it is a species native to Central American countries. The species’ blooming bouquets have made it one of the most popular transplanted species in all parts of the world.They are planted mostly for ornamental purposes.
Quite a few locations in Shenzhen feature the purple tabebuia. Some of them line the sides of motorways, some of them are in the parks. They make fantastic opportunities for seasonal photography.
Besides the purple tabebuia, the park administrator also planted an abundance of bougainvillea, a thorny floral bush. It was at full bloom when I visited. It added an extra touch of auspicious color and significantly enriched the scenery. Where it was slightly disappointing that I was visiting at the tail end of the tabebuia bloom, the flourish of bougainvillea certainly made up for it.
The closest subway station to the Houhai Zhongxinhe Park is Wanxia Station, and you may walk about 15 minutes from there. The closest boundary crossing is the Shenzhen Bay Port, and from there you can take Bus Routes M484. From the Futian Boundary Crossing, calling Didi would cost you something like HK$48.
The Shenzhen Municipal Uban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau, the Eco-Pathway of Zhongxinhe River (Chin).
Sam Shing of Tuen Mun is known for its seafood. It is a pretty popular place and people come from all over Hong Kong to have a proper seafood dinner. My parents live in Tuen Mun and so we also go to Sam Shing’s seafood …