Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: educator who removes death’s stigma through culture
Joseph Lau Yui-yip has taken students to cemeteries, funeral parlours and heritage exhibitions because he believes some parts of Hong Kong culture are best understood outside the classroom. Lau heads the student affairs department of Polytechnic University’s college of professional and continuing education and has spent years researching subjects ranging from funeral customs to a little-known…
Joseph Lau Yui-yip, an educator at Polytechnic University, has been recognized for his efforts to demystify Hong Kong's cultural practices related to death and burial. Lau, who heads the student affairs department, takes students to cemeteries, funeral parlours, and heritage exhibitions to help them understand these aspects of culture firsthand.
His work has earned him a spot among the finalists in the culture category of this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards. Lau's interest in funeral logistics began through his work with companies handling repatriated bodies, leading to contacts with funeral homes, cemeteries, government departments, and end-of-life planners. This experience has been incorporated into his teaching, including organising life-and-death exhibitions and introducing the Hakka pixiu dance, a performance that was recently added to Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage list.
Through his research and outreach, Lau aims to make conversations about death and burial more comfortable for families, especially as people age.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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