Recent Focus: It’s not about faith, it’s political infiltration. Monks can marry, but should not flaunt it; Is this just the beginning of cutting off? How much longer will the mainland’s property market continue to decline? Are the number of casualties underreported in Beijing? Disaster victims accuse the authorities of “losing contact with 300 people” in their village.
In recent days, the news of the investigation into the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, Shi Yongxin, has sparked public attention. Many were surprised by the allegations of criminal activities, embezzlement of large sums of money, and maintaining improper relationships with multiple women. Many questioned how a “political monk” could emerge in a place known for Buddhist purity like the Shaolin Temple.
Actually, listening to today’s story, one wouldn’t be so surprised anymore. Because within the communist system, the role of a “monk” often has little to do with faith but serves as a “political arrangement.”
On July 28, Cai Kefeng, who had served as the president of the “New York Overseas Chinese Writers Club” and currently resides in New York, shared his firsthand experience in an interview with Dajiyuan. From his account, we can see how the Chinese authorities select young people to enter temples. These individuals may outwardly appear as monks but actually serve in roles related to political influence. They work in temples during the day, go home at night, have rotating days off, high salaries, can marry but must keep it private.
Recalling the autumn of 1973 when he was recovering from an illness in Guangzhou, Cai Kefeng shared how a female official surnamed Huang from the neighborhood committee suddenly visited. His mother was initially alarmed, thinking something had happened. However, Huang, with a smile, straightforwardly said, “Is your son feeling better now? I am here to discuss a political task.”
This female official mentioned that the central government needed young intellectuals with high ideological consciousness and education levels to work in religious venues like temples and churches to host foreign guests. She explained there would be no physically demanding labor, mainly receiving foreign visitors, although the specific temple assignment was uncertain but would involve a religious role.
She noted the job required a university degree, knowledge of one or two foreign languages, no prior political mistakes, and age not exceeding 30. Family background was not a specific requirement, just ordinary would suffice, the key was to “perform.” Cai Kefeng met these requirements, and his file was already reviewed. Additionally, the salary for this job was high, around 80 yuan per month.
Cai Kefeng asked, “Comrade Huang, what exactly is the job description?” The female official smiled, saying, “As a monk!”
Amidst laughter and tears, his mother immediately objected, “I am still counting on my son to carry on the family line, how can he become a monk?”
The female official explained that it was just an occupation, not genuine monastic life. Of course, one would need to shave their head, wear a monk’s robe, hat, recite scriptures, observe vegetarian meals. However, there were rotating days off, the ability to return home, eat non-vegetarian food, even marry and have children but without publicizing it. The organization would also help arrange accommodation after marriage.
Concerning the current situation in the property market in China, where owning a property was synonymous with “wealth,” many families exhausted their savings, taking on decades-long mortgages just for a house. However, in recent years, the real estate market has been experiencing an unprecedented implosion where some properties have seen price drops exceeding fifty percent. This housing market collapse has not only devoured the wealth of countless ordinary families but has also pushed several industry tycoons to the brink. Economists even warn that “this is just the beginning,” with the future looking even bleaker.
Beijing financial blogger “Tante of Cola Pancake” recently visited the “Rhein Valley” community along the Yongding River in Beijing. He remarked that despite its prime location, the housing prices in Rhein Valley had plummeted to unrecognizable levels. An owner who had bought a house for 1.8 million yuan could now only sell it for just over 700,000 yuan, a drop of over sixty percent. As housing prices plummeted, even rental rates failed to rise, with many properties renting for less than 1,000 yuan. It’s a case of homeowners losing out while renters unexpectedly benefit.
The sharp decline in housing prices is not only limited to the Beijing area. A blogger engaged in “buying a house in full” in Wuhan revealed through a video that many neighborhoods had alarmingly low occupancy rates with numerous buildings dark and unoccupied. She stated, “If the lights are not on, it means no one is living there, it’s vacant.”
She pointed out, “I’m not an economist, but I know a simple fact – scarcity drives prices up. Now, with empty houses lining the streets, how can housing prices not drop?” She believed that the halving of housing prices is only the beginning, with an even bleaker future ahead. A house worth 1.08 million in the past can now only be sold for 300,000. Today, homes have transformed from symbols of wealth to nightmares for their owners.
The collapse of the real estate sector has also brought difficult times for related industries. Only in July, several business moguls closely tied to the real estate industry died by jumping from buildings. Such figures include the chairman of the home furnishing industry giant “JuranHome,” Wang Linpeng, the “Godfather” of Guangzhou’s home furnishing industry, “Schoolmaster of Furnishing,” Zeng Yuzhou, and Zhejiang Construction’s board director Shen Kangming.
Analysts suggested that all these enterprises were vital links in the real estate industry chain. As the property market crashed, they too faced a dead end.
Financial blogger “Tom” mentioned, “If 2021 could be seen as the year of the real estate implosion, today, four years later, a series of chain reactions among related industries are emerging one after another. However, this is just the beginning; there will be more industry implosions ahead.” He predicted that sectors such as lighting, appliances, glass, wood, closely associated with real estate, would face insurmountable debts and potential bankruptcies, following the footsteps of these industry giants.
Over a decade ago, economists had already issued warnings about this situation. Chinese economist Xiang Songzuo had pointed out that during his tenure as chief economist at the Agricultural Bank from 2011 to 2012, he had repeatedly cautioned against the unsustainable practices in China’s real estate sector. He recalled how the banks had recklessly extended loans in the real estate market. In one meeting, a senior central bank official warned banking executives, “What you’re doing now may seem fine, but you will regret it in the future.”
He believed that to stabilize the market, it would take at least three to five years and that overall, China’s real estate market would need to drop by at least fifty percent. What the state of China’s economy would be then was anyone’s guess.
Beijing faced a deluge, as the official reports on July 29, indicated that up to midnight, there were 30 deaths due to the disaster in Beijing, with 28 in Miyun and 2 in Yanqing. The official announcements attributed the fatalities to heavy rainfall, with no mention of reservoir discharge. However, many affected residents insisted that the actual situation was more severe than what was being reported. One villager claimed that the reported death toll was inaccurate, as in only their village, at least four people were swept away, along with over 300 people missing.
According to meteorological data, from the 26th to the 28th of July, Beijing witnessed an average rainfall of 165.9 millimeters, with some mountainous areas experiencing over 500 millimeters of rain. Regions like Langfangyu in Miyun and Zhujia in Fuyu recorded the highest precipitation levels, with a staggering 543.4 millimeters.
The flooding was not solely due to continuous rain; on July 27, at least nine reservoirs in Beijing’s Miyun, Huairou, Pinggu, and other areas discharged water simultaneously, shutting down 352 mountainous drainage channels. This deluge from high altitudes transformed many areas into inundated landscapes, causing extensive damage to roads, bridges, and disrupting water, electricity, and internet services.
A Beijing citizen Mr. Wang, in an interview with Dajiyuan, mentioned that on the night of the 28th, the northwest and northeast regions of Beijing discharged water, nearly flooding the capital’s airport. He stated that the Pinggu area was severely affected. Pinggu and Miyun regions are predominantly mountainous, making it challenging for rescue teams to access due to the washed-out roads.
Mr. Wang noted that the entire city of Beijing, including the central areas like Zhongnanhai, was surrounded by water, with depths reaching the ankles. Even the moat of the Forbidden City was almost full.
An online commentator from Beijing posted on the 28th, saying that the Chaobai River was overflowing, and everyone who could evacuate already had. The community mentioned that it would face water and power cuts for the next three to four days.
A villager from Zhuangtouyu Village, Mujiaoyu Town, Miyun District, Beijing, reported that due to massive flooding, riverside hotels were submerged, and residents had to evacuate. He stated, “My uncle’s fish ponds were completely destroyed, the water levels rose rapidly, we left while having our meal. We are yet unsure of the full extent of the losses. The flooding was severe, and this year was already tough. Now, it’s adding insult to injury.” To protect Beijing, less water was released from the Baihe River, but the Chaoriver’s discharge was doubled, a difficult but necessary step, highlighting the lack of value placed on rural properties by officials!
A villager from Sunhugou Village, Liulimiao Town, Huairou District, Beijing, claimed that the reported death toll was inaccurate as four people, including the village secretary and his wife, were swept away in their village. However, the official reports did not mention Huairou or Sunhugou, indicating discrepancies in the reported death toll.
The villager mentioned that the floodwaters came rushing down from the mountains, where over three hundred people were left unevacuated. He stated that they received a call on the day of the discharge warning of exceptionally high water levels, prompting them to evacuate. However, the three hundred individuals in the mountains were never evacuated and are currently missing, left stranded and disconnected from the outside world.
– Production Team of Jia Yin Moment.