The grand event, attended by more than 2,000 guests, including some 600 volunteers, put the spotlight on Buddhism and its unique influence in Hong Kong, especially in the wider context of mainland China, where authorities have an iron grip on religion.

Most hail the museum, the only one of its kind in the city, as a milestone for local Buddhism, as more Hongkongers seek spirituality amid the breakneck pace of life. But experts point out this does not mean the religion is seeing a surge, because monk and nun numbers have fallen.

The four-year-old Tsz Shan Monastery, with its pristine, Tang dynasty-style architecture, is itself a Zen retreat for Li, 90, and rumoured to be his final resting place.

At the museum launch, the billionaire, who retired a year ago and handed the reins of his empire to elder son Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, 54, steered clear of talk about Tsz Shan being his private nirvana. He instead sought to drive home the essence of his Buddhist brainchild.

He later revealed that some relics in the 24,000 sq ft museum, located under the lotus throne of the Guanyin statue, stem from his personal collection. The exhibits comprise 100 Buddha statues and 43 hand-copied sutras on permanent display. In the cool and dimly lit gallery, artefacts are bathed in spotlights precisely angled to bring out curvatures, weathered flaws and delicate details.

One of the oldest displays, an elegant Standing Sakyamuni Buddha with a high nose and full lips, slightly pursed at the corners, dates back to the 2nd or 3rd century in the Gandhara kingdom of ancient India, the cradle of Buddhism.

The museum will open to the public for free in May. All guests to the monastery have to pre-register in advance.

A way of life

There are an estimated 1 million Buddhists in Hong Kong, according to the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, a major group which promotes the religion through activities and education in the city. It runs 28 schools, from kindergartens to primary and secondary levels, as well as Chinese medicine and elderly service units, among other subsidiaries.

Venerable Kuan Yun, association president, says more are becoming believers as “with changing times come changing problems”. The Buddhist leader, among those who officiated at the Tsz Shan museum opening, adds: “Hongkongers are wealthy but they’re not happy.”

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He welcomes the new museum. “It educates people about the history of Buddhism and is a different way of showing people what Buddhism is about,” he says. “The government should allocate more space to venues for spiritual learning and meditation, and it would be nice to have these in urban locations such as housing estates. Spiritual help is especially important now.”

Caius Yuen Ting-kwong, 25, an administrative assistant who became a Buddhist at around the age of 17, says the issue is more about awareness. “Many Hongkongers mistake Buddhism for superstitious rituals such as burning incense for blessings. I think the public would benefit from more promotional activities and seminars on what Buddhism is really about.”

According to Professor Ji Zhe from the Paris-based National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations (Inalco), Hong Kong was “a pillar of strength for Chinese Buddhism” after the Communist revolution in 1949, when a great number of mainland monks and believers fled to the city and fanned out to places such as Southeast Asia or Taiwan.

Taiwanese Bella Shao, 35, says Wong Tai Sin Temple was a major attraction on her trip here two years ago. Famous for worshippers rattling fortune sticks and the granting of wishes, the temple, dating back to 1915, was added to the national heritage list in 2014.

“Buddhist practices such as the method of incense burning and worship in Hong Kong are very different from Taiwan’s,” Shao says, adding that she feels the city’s temples carry a more “ancient feel” because of their storied past.

For Au Yeung-hor, 90, Tsz Shan Monastery, with its relatively short history, does not hold as much appeal. “It would be nice if it were more accessible, especially for older people like me,” says the grandmother of six and great-grandmother of two.

“The only thing that stood out for me was the Guanyin statue. I prefer the Lantau Buddha [at Po Lin Monastery] more.”

A delicate dance

The relationship between the government and Chinese places of worship can sometimes be a tenuous one, clouded by legislation and what some in the Buddhist community claim is bias.

Out of an estimated 600 Chinese temples and monasteries in Hong Kong, nearly 400 are registered under the Chinese Temples Committee, a statutory body set up in 1928 to regulate such places.

A review four years ago to relax what is perceived as outdated legislation against fraudulent worship places did not result in any amendments to the Chinese Temples Ordinance, which allows the government to close and seize assets of temples it deems mismanaged.

According to the Home Affairs Bureau, the findings of the review are still being considered.

Venerable Sik Hin Hung, senior adviser at the University of Hong Kong’s Centre of Buddhist Studies, says: “I hope the government can be more understanding towards local Buddhist culture. Catholics and Christians have enjoyed a lot of support from authorities and churches are often found in urban areas. You’ve also got facilities like the YMCA, but there’s no Buddhist equivalent.

“The government accuses Buddhist temples of illegal structures, illegal niches for ashes and whatnot. I think they should try to be more understanding. The ashes have been here for a long time, what can we do about them?”

Dr Xue Yu, a Chinese University research fellow who was involved in the planning of Tsz Shan, adds that while there are a lot of places in Hong Kong for Buddhist ritual worship, they should also incorporate spiritual studies and explore how the philosophy can be taught.

Both Venerable Sik Hin Hung and Xue note that while Buddhist believers may be on the rise in Hong Kong, it does not mean the religion is experiencing a surge.

The number of monks and nuns in the city has dropped, according to the former, partly due to “materialism and instant gratification”, elements that are the antitheses to the philosophy. Xue also says the city needs young Buddhist leaders who are “strong and charismatic”.

On Buddhism in the wider context of mainland China, Ji from Inalco says: “The Buddhist community in Hong Kong has pro-Beijing leanings, and at the same time the central government recognises the value of a united front from this group.

“But for a religion to flourish in society, the discussion must take the direction of the public good, instead of having strings pulled by either authorities or religious leaders.”

Like Xue, Ji laments a seeming lack of philosophical studies. “What’s regrettable is that in the Chinese world, including Taiwan, there is a dearth of such in-depth thinking in this regard.”

Perhaps this is where Hong Kong’s Tsz Shan has found its niche.

The monastery eschews incense-burning rituals for water blessings. At an inner courtyard, a circular pond spouts a small fountain that radiates from the centre – a symbol and reminder of how if one’s heart is not still, small ripples generated can influence one’s take on reality.

Hebei native Brianna Liu, 32, who has lived in Hong Kong for more than a decade and is a volunteer at Tsz Shan, says she was captivated by the scenic serenity of the monastery one day while cycling past. A non-believer before, she has since been attending study classes every two to three weeks, with a small sign-up fee of HK$100 for administrative costs and books.

“The monastery focuses more on attracting young people through art classes and philosophical studies,” she says.

With its new art museum, Tsz Shan also adds to Buddhist infrastructure in Hong Kong. Temples and great monasteries, with their statues and museum collections, are media that help embed a religion into public consciousness, according to Ji.

For Li Ka-shing, this will no doubt be a cherished sanctum for which to explore life after retirement.

He has summed up the spirit of the place: “I hope Tsz Shan Monastery can be a space for such quiet contemplation and orientation.”