Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, chaos frequently arises in the religious sector. Hu Chenglin, the Chairman of the Shaanxi Taoist Association and the Honorary Chairman of the Xi’an Taoist Association, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, was reported last month to be the “Shi Yongxin of the Taoist community.” It was alleged that he had been secretly married and had children for over twenty years, as well as having multiple lovers. He was accused of using temple funds to buy himself luxury cars such as a Land Rover. Recently, the Xi’an Taoist Association announced the removal of Hu Chenglin from his positions as the supervisor of the Baxian Palace and Xiangzi Temple, as well as revoking his title of Honorary Chairman of the Xi’an Taoist Association.
The online whistleblower, using the Weibo handle “True Taoist Liu Yongo”, publicly accused Hu Chenglin, a National Committee member and Chairman of the Shaanxi Taoist Association, of being the “Shi Yongxin of the Taoist community” starting from April 7th.
At that time, “True Taoist Liu Yongo” claimed that Hu Chenglin publicly declared himself as single and living a pure life, but in reality, he had been secretly married with children for over twenty years and had multiple lovers. It was alleged that he illegally obtained a Taoist certificate for a lover born in 1997, went on a trip to Hong Kong with her, rented a luxury yacht, and used temple funds to buy himself a Land Rover.
In the report, “Liu Yongo” claimed that Hu Chenglin’s membership in the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference had been suspended, but the official announcement of this news has not been made public. Currently, Hu Chenglin still holds his position as a member of the National Committee.
Public records show that Hu Chenglin, aged 52 and born in 1974 in Shaanxi, is the 24th-generation disciple of the Quanzhen Longmen School. According to official documents, he resided at the Wan Shou Baxian Palace in Xi’an since March 1995. He served as the Chairman of the Xi’an Taoist Association in 2013, and was later appointed as the Honorary Chairman in 2015. Starting from the end of 2014, he held the position of Chairman of the Shaanxi Taoist Association, and in June 2015, he was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Chinese Taoist Association of the Communist Party. He is also a member of the 13th and 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. At the end of last year, during the change of leadership in the Communist Party’s Taoist Association, he did not seek re-election as Vice Chairman. Hu Chenglin had also held positions as the presiding officer of the Xi’an Baxian Palace and Xiangzi Temple.
On April 10th, “Liu Yongo” announced his resignation from the Xi’an Taoist Association and renounced his Taoist identity, turning to a layperson living at home. He stated that he had faced immense pressure as his multiple reports made since October last year had not been addressed, with claims that an official from the Shaanxi Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee supported Hu Chenglin, obstructing the investigation.
After reporting Hu Chenglin, “Liu Yongo” was temporarily banned from posting on social media. Chinese media outlet Netease had previously reported on the incident where “True Taoist Liu Yongo” exposed Hu Chenglin, but the reports were later deleted.
While the official response to the allegations is still pending, according to a notice from the Xi’an Taoist Association’s WeChat account, on April 27th, the Xi’an Taoist Association held its fourth meeting of the sixth session of the President. During the meeting, related personnel matters were discussed. The notice announced that on April 13th, the Association relieved Hu Chenglin from his duties as the supervisor of the Baxian Palace. The meeting also decided to revoke Hu Chenglin’s title of Honorary Chairman of the Xi’an Taoist Association and remove him from the position of supervisor of the Xiangzi Temple.
According to Ming Pao news, there are reports indicating that the Xi’an Taoist Association’s use of the term “revocation” suggests the credibility of the allegations, and it is believed that Hu may face further dismissals from other positions.
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, atheism has been vigorously promoted, not only undermining traditional Chinese culture but also infiltrating traditional Chinese religions from within, with Communist Party operatives present within religious organizations. Temples and Taoist temples, which were originally places of spiritual practice for monks and Taoists, have long ceased to be sacred grounds for asceticism.
Prior to this incident, the former abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin, had also been reported multiple times, but it was not until July 2025 that authorities took action to investigate him. The Shaolin Temple Management Office reported that Shi Yongxin was suspected of embezzling temple funds, violating Buddhist precepts, and maintained improper relationships with multiple women over an extended period, resulting in the birth of more than one illegitimate child. The official report sparked public outcry.