According to some readings of the Mayan calendar, the world will end on Friday, Dec 21. China Daily canvassed the views of a popular Buddhist monk, a student who invented a clock that tells people how much longer they have to live, an astrologer, a best-selling science fiction writer, and an entrepreneur.

Master Yancan is the abbot of Shuiyue Temple in Cangzhou, Hebei province, and also vice-chairman of the provincial Buddhist Association. Renowned for his easygoing personality and lively sense of humor, the abbot has more than 4 million followers on Sina Weibo.

A1: There is no such concept as Doomsday in Buddhism. This is a word from Western culture. I see it (Chinese people talking about it) as a result of East meeting West, and some people are confused by that idea. Personally, I don't see any sign of doomsday approaching; it's just a joke the Mayans left us. People have never thought the Mayans were humorous. However, they were good at black humor and that humor has frightened a lot of people.