Macau–the historic city where Eastern and Western civilizations fuse harmoniously together–was returned to China on December 20, 1999, bringing to an end approximately 450 years of Portuguese rule. As members of SGI-Macau, we were proud to participate in the numerous festivities and commemorative events held to celebrate the city’s new start as a Special Administrative Region of China.

We organized a culture festival, held on January 9, 2000, which was attended by 500 guests from various circles of society. Macau Culture Minister Chui Sai On, attending in place of Chief Executive Edmund Ho, remarked that the cultural contributions of the SGI were a great source of support and reassurance for the city and its cultural melting pot.

In addition, SGI-Macau and the Macau municipal council cosponsored an exhibit entitled “The Heroes of The Water Margin,” which opened on January 7 and ran for one month. The magnificent adventures of the heroes of The Water Margin, China’s most beloved work of popular literature, were captured in the paintings, ceramic art and other works of Macau’s most renowned artists.

Macau is located at the southern tip of China’s Guangdong Province, about 64 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong. The new administrative region covers 18.7 square kilometers with a population of approximately 450,000. Westerners first came to Macau at the beginning of the 16th century, and the city became the first focal point for Europeans in Asia. Since that time, many immigrants have arrived not only from Europe but also from China and other Asian countries, fueling the amalgamation of Eastern and Western cultures on this tiny island. Indeed, the island brims with a spirit of openness, allowing a symbiotic relationship between the disparate cultures of Macau to be forged through international exchange.

Academic Exchange

The University of Macau, founded in 1981, now plays a leading role in promoting academic exchange and has cooperative relationships with 130 universities and research institutes around the world. In 1990, the university formed an academic exchange agreement with Soka University, its first such relationship with a Japanese educational institution, and in 1994 the two universities cosponsored the fourth Pacific Rim Symposium, which was held on the campus of the University of Macau. Backed also by the government of Macau and the Japanese consulate general in Hong Kong, the symposium was attended by 60 scholars from 16 countries and regions and 30 universities and institutions. Lively debate centered on the symposium theme of “East-West Relations in the 21st Century.” SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka University, has been recognized with four awards from the University of Macau, including an honorary doctorate.

The SGI Movement in Macau

The first SGI member in Macau was Naoko Shiga (1926–1999) who emigrated from Japan in 1966. Later she and another Japanese resident, Yoko Ishii, together with Leong Ieong Iok Fu, a Macau citizen who joined the SGI in Hong Kong, began talking to others about Buddhism. Their activities did not progress as smoothly as they had hoped, however, because of the influx of refugees, unstable conditions in Macau and prejudice against Japanese immigrants. At one point, discussion meetings and other Buddhist activities were even labeled as “gatherings of dangerous elements.”

Despite these difficulties, and determined to show actual proof of their faith in society, Ms. Shiga and Ms. Ishii became official government guides in 1967. Ms. Shiga was the first Japanese national ever to become a government guide. Later her son and daughter also earned their licenses, and the family started a travel business, which has now grown into the largest travel agency in Macau. Meanwhile, Ms. Leong Ieong Iok Fu is also contributing to society through her role as the central figure in the Macau Women’s Association and the Nurses Association.

In 1978 a district was formed with 100 households, with Ms. Shiga as the district chief and Ms. Ishii as the district women’s division leader. At that time, however, there were hardly any active men’s division members, and the few who joined SGI-Macau through the efforts of these two leaders often left the organization after becoming discouraged by the hard economic times in Macau. In response to this situation, Ms. Shiga and Ms. Ishii strongly resolved to create a solid organization to leave behind for the next generation of SGI members in Macau.

In 1987, SGI-Macau finally found a stable meeting place, provided by a generous member. We began holding weekly chanting meetings there. Attendance of just over 10 people grew to 100 by 1991, and in April of that year a chapter was formed. Mr. Chan Chi Kai and myself were the pioneers of the men’s division. We took as our motto the goal of contributing to society as citizens of Macau, and capable people started to appear from within the organization. In addition, the SGI’s message of peace, culture and education began to be understood and appreciated by all elements of Macau society.

I myself joined the SGI in 1983. I had been managing a diverse manufacturing and transportation business, but after encountering Buddhism I learned that an individual’s work and the inner reformation of his or her life are intimately related. The sense of satisfaction that wells up from the depths of one’s life when one engages in Buddhist activities improves the quality of one’s work. Based on these principles, I am firmly convinced that the more our organization is recognized by society, the more deeply aware we become of the momentous responsibility we have in both our public activities and our private lives.

In order to contribute in more concrete ways to Macau society, SGI-Macau formed the Macau Culture Council in 1995. This led to the decision to open the SGI-Macau Culture Center, built in 1997, to local choral and dance groups to use for rehearsals. In 1999, we invited experts from a variety of fields to the center to lead our many cultural seminars. Meanwhile, we also hosted the National Chinese Opera Troupe, which came to Macau to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the modern Chinese state. In addition, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s two visits to Macau have inspired the SGI-Macau members to challenge themselves to new heights in their cultural activities.

In his lecture at the Macau Culture Center in April 1999, Zhou Li-Gao, then chancellor of the University of Macau, stated that Macau’s role is to serve as a bridge linking East and West. He remarked that the role of the SGI is to act as a bridge between people’s hearts in Macau. Mr. Zhou noted that his trust in the SGI as an organization for peace stems from his respect for SGI President Ikeda, who has always treated Macau as equal to other countries and territories and who is struggling for world peace based on a correct understanding of history. His words struck a chord in my heart.

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