Carina Lau's baby bid

HONG KONG - The fuss from Hong Kong celebrity couple's Tony Leung and Carina Lau having died down, Carina was last spotted at Hong Kong's Tin Hau Temple - praying for a baby.

Before their wedding, both had expressed their wish to have a baby before the wedding, and Carina even started cutting down on alcohol and cigarettes to prepare for her new family. But their attempts at parenthood have not borne fruit.

Hong Kong media also reported that Tony Leung's mother has pressured the two for a grandchild, while speculations have been rife that Leung's white hair - seen at a recent press conference - was due to his anxiety to be a dad.

Carina was spotted by residents near the temple at Lei Yue Mun - a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong. She was seen offering incense and touching the 'dragon bed' reputed to boost fertility. According to residents, the 'dragon bed' is more than 200 years old and a relic from the Qing dynasty. Some say that women who touch the bed would bear sons, and it has attracted many couples who hoped to conceive.

According to residents who saw her, Carina was trying to keep a low profile. She dressed conservatively in jeans and a dark-coloured shirt, wore little make up and hid her face in sunglasses and a hat. She came and left in a hurry with a girl friend with little fanfare, and not many residents witnessed their visit.

This article first appeared in Shin Min Daily on Oct 13, 2008..