The Wan Ching Yuan Centre in Penang celebrated its 11th Anniversary at Than Hsiang Temple. Ven. Wei Wu, the abbot of Than Hsiang Temple, in his speech commented on the theme of the celebration –"Filial Piety and Respect for the Senior Citizens".

The Ven. also mapped the growth of Wan Ching Yuan Senior Citizen Home Centre in Penang to the branch in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, and a Retirement Home at Country Heights in Kajang, Selangor. This expansion is achieved through the experiences gained in running the centre in Penang and the help and support of the public, staff, volunteers and staunch supporters.

Shi Fu introduced the new project that Wan Ching Yuen will be undertaking in the near future. The project is to establish a retirement village at Bukit Berapit in the mainland. The plans and running of the retirement village rough the experiences gained from the running of Wan Ching Yuan Centre in Penang. Shi Fu made a presentation with regards to the project using slides and suggested plans for the buildings. Shi Fu said that this Retirement Village Project is planned based on the eleven-years of experience in running Wan Ching Yuan and our aspiration to establish a better planned and organized home which is more comfortable and well-equipped. He also said that with the seventeen acres of land at hand we now have the opportunity to do some of the things we want to do here, but cannot, due to the lack of space.

Shi Fu thanked the management and staffs of Wan Ching Yuan as well as the organizing committee for organizing this anniversary celebration. He specially mentioned the dedicated service of Sister Kang Sok Meng and Brother Chan Chow Khun. Shi Fu thanked the volunteers and supporters of Wan Ching Yuan and Than Hsiang Temple, for not only helping in this event, but also for their continual services and financial support. Without this kind of support from the volunteers, supporters and public, Wan Ching Yuan and Than Hsiang Temple cannot grow to be what it is today. Shi Fu also stated that continued support is needed not only to make projects like what Wan Ching Yuan is doing a reality but also help us serve the community better.

Shi Fu then thanked members of the press for their constant support in promoting our activites. With their help and support, more and more people are aware of projects undertaken by the Than Hsiang Fund and Wan Ching Yuan Centre.

Mr. Ong Kong Leong, chairman of the organizing committee elaborated on the theme of the celebration, (Care and Compassion for the Aged) He said that we should respect the elders at home, in the community and also the elderly through out the world.

He traced the beginning of Wan Ching Wan centre in 1994 in a double storey bungalow in Hogan Road, Penang with a maximum capacity of 30 residents. Presently there are 58 residents with 53 residents in the centre and two in the retirement apartments and another three under the day care service. The youngest resident is 62 years old and Mr. Chong Seong who is 101 years of age is the oldest. The primary aim of the Home is to provide personal quality care of the aged as a whole meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs whereby they can lead a happy, meaningful and useful life. The subsequent aims are to provide opportunities for the Buddhist fraternity to cultivate Buddhist teachings, as well as to assist and relieve working children in caring for their aged parents while they are at work.

In 1998 the centre was relocated to Wisma Than Hsiang which has a maximum capacity of 60 residents. In the year 2002, the Wan Ching Yuan centre in Petaling Jaya was established and it now has 17 senior citizens with nine on the waiting list while the Kajang Wan Ching Yuan Retirement Home which was established in 2004 has 7 residents.The Bukit Berapit Retirement Village will have a capacity of 80 when it starts its Phase I of the project.

Mr. Ong said that Wan Ching Yuan Centre not only provides daily living and health care services as a senior citizens home and retirement apartments but also day care services where the elders come in the morning and go back home in the evening. The objective in providing the day-care service is enable the elders to remain with their families and at the same time their busy working children can have peace of mind and concentrate on their careers knowing that their parents are well taken care of. On the other hand the elders have the opportunity participate in the religious and community activities. They also get to learn and practice the Buddha Dharma.

Ending his speech, Mr. Ong thanked the press, and the various Senior Citizen Homes in Penang for their co-operation and support. Especially mentioned was “Little Sisters of the Poor”. He also thanked representatives from the various homes for their attendance.

The celebration started at 9:30 a.m. with the singing of the “Song of the Buddha Gem”, a condensed version of the “Song of the Triple Gem” led by the Than Hsiang Choir. The gift presentation followed the speeches by the abbot and the organizing chairman. The highlights of the programme were songs by the Than Hsiang Choir, representatives from the Petaling Jaya Wan Ching Yuan Centre and the Pajam Kalyanan Mitra Centre as well as students of the Than Hsiang Sunday Dharma School, the solo harmonica presentation by Mr. Yeoh Oon Chye a resident of the Wan Ching Yuan Centre and a dance by the students of Than Hsiang Kindergarten.

After the entertainment programme, lunch was served to the senior citizens in the Multi Purpose Hall while the other guests, visitors, and volunteers had their lunch on the ground floor of Wisma Than Hsiang.