Recently, the Communist Party leader Xi Jinping made a brief stop in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province on his way to inspect Gansu Province. During the visit, he toured the Baoji Bronze Museum, located near the Qinling Mountains, often referred to as the “dragon’s pulse.” Xi Jinping, who hails from Shaanxi, has a special attachment to the Qinling Mountains, considering it a symbol closely tied to his family’s rise. Political analysts believe that Xi Jinping’s actual focus on this trip was Shaanxi rather than Gansu, suggesting that his visit to Gansu was merely a cover for his true intentions.
Xi Jinping’s inspection tour of Gansu and Shaanxi provinces took place from September 10th to 13th. On the 10th, he first visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui City, Gansu Province, where the ancient Chinese cultural ancestor Fuxi is worshipped.
On the morning of September 11th, Xi Jinping visited the Nanshan Huaniu Apple Base and Maijishan Grottoes in Maiji District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. The Maijishan Grottoes, managed by the Dunhuang Research Institute, are one of China’s four major grottoes. In the afternoon, Xi Jinping traveled to Lanzhou City in Gansu Province.
Xi Jinping chaired a forum on the development of the Yellow River Basin in Lanzhou on September 12th, discussing economic and ecological protection issues in the region. On the final day of his inspection, Xi Jinping attended a work briefing session with the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, emphasizing the need to further “strengthen the protection of cultural heritage.”
While en route to Gansu Province, Xi Jinping briefly stopped in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province on the afternoon of September 10th to visit the Baoji Bronze Museum. Located south of the Qinling Mountains and north of the Wei River, the museum houses early Western Zhou bronze artifacts, including the He stele. During the visit, Xi Jinping expressed his intention to enhance the protection and research of bronze cultural relics. Additionally, Xi Jinping also inspected the Wei River Ecological Park.
Political analyst Chen Pokong, currently in the United States, believes that Xi Jinping’s true destination on this trip was Shaanxi, rather than Gansu. He suggests that Xi Jinping’s visit to Gansu was a diversion from his actual intentions.
On September 15th, in an interview with a reporter from Dajiyuan, Chen Pokong stated that Shaanxi is Xi Jinping’s ancestral homeland, with his father’s mausoleum situated in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province. He mentioned that Xi Jinping regularly visits Shaanxi during significant occasions and sees the Qinling Mountains as the so-called “dragon’s pulse.”
The Qinling Mountains are a fold mountain range running through central China, extending from Lin Tao, Gansu in the west to the Xiaoshan area in Henan in the east, primarily located in the south-central part of Shaanxi Province—a dividing line between North and South China. Official Chinese media promotes the Qinling Mountains as the “dragon’s pulse of Chinese civilization.” In April 2020, during an inspection in Shaanxi, Xi Jinping referred to the Qinling Mountains as China’s “central water tower,” emphasizing its importance as the “ancestral vein of the Chinese nation and a significant symbol of Chinese culture.”
Chen Pokong indicates that Xi Jinping sometimes visits Gansu or Qinghai, but these trips are essentially distractions, with Shaanxi being the true destination. He stated, “I believe his visit to Shaanxi this time carries a superstitious element. He might think he’s facing trouble and believes that a visit to Shaanxi could bring him good luck.”
Chen Pokong also noted that based on photos released by the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping appeared noticeably thinner, possibly indicating recent health issues. During visits to sites like the Fuxi Temple and the Baoji Bronze Museum, Xi Jinping exhibited a vacant expression and a somber demeanor, suggesting heavy concerns. Additionally, Xi Jinping’s entourage, including Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, kept a noticeable distance from him—a departure from normal protocol.
“This is quite unusual,” Chen Pokong commented, suggesting that Xi Jinping’s behavior reflects underlying psychological problems such as insecurity and suspicion, causing those around him to be cautious. Thus, Xi Jinping’s entire itinerary appears peculiar and mysterious, aligning with recent rumors regarding his health issues.
Former Beijing lawyer and current chair of Minzhen Canada, Lai Jianping, informed Dajiyuan reporters that Xi Jinping’s visit, under the pretext of inspection, aimed to preserve his so-called “dragon’s pulse” to secure continued power. Nevertheless, in the face of current internal and external challenges, such actions are deemed futile. Lai said, “Xi Jinping cannot reverse the situation by inspecting the Qinling Mountains. The fate of the Chinese Communist Party is already sealed; this is merely a futile attempt.”
The Qinling Villa illegal construction case refers to a group of villas illegally built in the foothills of the Qinling Mountains in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province over the years. This illegal construction case garnered widespread social attention, leading to the investigation and handling of numerous Shaanxi officials implicated in the scandal.
As early as 2003, the Shaanxi Provincial Government issued a notice explicitly prohibiting any entity or individual from engaging in real estate development, constructing residential homes, or private villas within the Qinling Mountains foothills area. Despite subsequent regulations issued by Shaanxi Province and Xi’an City, along with the demolition of some illegally built villas, the issue of illegal construction in the Qinling Mountains remained unresolved.
Upon learning of the large number of illegal villas at the “dragon’s pulse” in the Qinling Mountains, Xi Jinping ordered their demolition. In May 2014, Xi Jinping issued the first order to rectify the illegal villa construction in the Qinling Mountains. He subsequently made six directives, but local officials in Shaanxi failed to act promptly. It wasn’t until July 2018, after then Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Xu Lingyi, visited Shaanxi twice to supervise, that the local government commenced large-scale demolition of illegal villas.
Following this, the Shaanxi political scene experienced upheaval. Former Shaanxi Party Secretary Zhao Zhengyong was investigated and expelled from the party due to prolonged inaction and submitting false reports. Xi’an City’s former Party Secretary Wei Minzhou, former Shaanxi Vice Governor Feng Xinzhu, former Chief of Staff of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee Qian Yinan, and several other high-ranking officials from Shaanxi subsequently fell from power.
In the Qinling Mountains illegal villa case, one key figure escaped investigation—former Shaanxi Party Secretary and current Politburo Standing Committee member Zhao Leji. Many of the officials implicated in the scandal during Zhao Leji’s leadership in Shaanxi, as well as the prolonged delay in demolishing the illegal villas, are believed to be interconnected.
Analysts suggest that Xi Jinping may view Zhao Leji as the one responsible for disrupting the “dragon’s pulse.” Rumors have circulated since 2019 indicating that Xi Jinping warned and reprimanded Zhao Leji regarding the illegal villa case in the Qinling Mountains. Zhao Leji’s retention as a Politburo Standing Committee member during the 20th Party Congress was seen as a compromise between Xi Jinping and the late former Party leader Jiang Zemin’s faction to ensure Xi’s reelection.
(To be continued…)