Today was the last official day of our J-Term course! We ended up back at the Regal Riverside Hotel last night, which allowed us to come full circle with our pilgrimage. Our day consisted of viewing a busy Daoist temple and then we jetted off to Lamma Island. 

      Upon arriving, we enjoyed our last group meal together. While sitting outside and enjoying a view of the ocean, we enjoyed a traditional dim sum meal. Dim Sum means snack in Chinese, so we enjoyed bite sized small snack plates, passing them around the table for all to try. Since we were on an island, we were treated with a lot of fresh seafood!

      We then ventured further into the island to view one last temple, which was a small Daoist one. Only about 6 people could fit inside at one time, so we took turns but no one minded since we were all enjoying the warmth and sunshine. Then we headed to the beach and had free time to explore and enjoy the island for ourselves! 

      Lamma Island holds a special spot in our professor’s heart. Professor Kopf lived on Lamma Island from 2008-2009 while he was a professor at Hong Kong University in the Buddhist Studies department. Lamma Island is only available to access by ferry, so that meant Professor Kopf took two trips on the ferry every day! He said he got used to it, and that living on Lamma Island meant easy access to the beach, daily watching of sunsets and avoiding the hustle and bustle of the mainland and it’s high rises. 

      Lamma Island started as a fisherman village, but then temples were built on the island which attracted more people to come and worship. This influx of people ended up helping the fisherman with their businesses. Today, Lamma Island is full of a mix of local and tourist people, with lots of properties available for rent so everyone can enjoy the island life. 

      Our professor told me that this J-term trip would not have been possible without the connections he had made throughout his life. Lots of these connections started right on Lamma Island and during his time at the University of Hong. Professor Kopf’s connections have lead to some incredible opportunities that have made long lasting memories!