Speculation Mounts Over Xi Jinping’s Covert Visit to Renowned Buddhist Temple

Buddhist monks and nuns of Lingyin Temple walk to receive Buddhists's offerings during a charity event to celebrate the birth of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on May 25, 2015. VCG/VCG via Getty Images

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent trip to China included a tour of a renowned Chinese Buddhist temple, which was marked by extraordinary hospitality. Analysts are speculating that the dignitary whom the temple was actually hosting might have been none other than Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

On Sept. 23, Mr. Xi participated in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Mr. Assad was also an invited guest at this significant event.

A day prior, the two leaders met at West Lake State Guesthouse in Hangzhou, where they jointly announced the formation of a strategic partnership between China and Syria.

What captures attention, however, is Mr. Assad’s visit on Sept. 22 to Lingyin Temple, a historic Buddhist site in Hangzhou. He, along with his wife and entourage, received an unusually warm reception, fueling much speculation and three points of curiosity.

A Muslim Leader Visits a Buddhist Temple

Hangzhou is renowned for its rich cultural history and numerous historical landmarks, lauded by Marco Polo as “the most splendid heaven-like city.” Syria is predominantly an Islamic nation, and the Assad family is of a Shia Muslim lineage. Given the range of historical landmarks in Hangzhou, Mr. Assad’s choice to visit a Buddhist temple—which doesn’t align with his religious beliefs—is intriguing.

The Epoch Times’ Hong Kong edition Editor-in-Chief Guo Jun pointed out during the Pinnacle View TV program that Islamic tradition prohibits idol worship, meaning mosques are devoid of statues and often even pictures. Some Arab nations even restrict movies and television. However, Mr. Assad chose to visit a Buddhist temple known for its Buddha statues.

Unprecedented Red Carpet Treatment

During his visit to Lingyin Temple, Mr. Assad was accorded an unusually high level of courtesy. Social media posts revealed a red carpet laid from the temple’s entrance to its main hall—a day before the Syrian leader’s visit.

Red carpets are usually reserved for the formal reception of state guests and aren’t a universal courtesy extended to all. For instance, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo didn’t receive such red-carpet treatment during their respective visits to China this year. Even U.S. President Barack Obama wasn’t greeted with a red carpet during his 2016 trip to Hangzhou for the G20 Summit.

Syria, particularly under the Assad regime, has been crippled by international sanctions due to its use of chemical weapons and its handling of the ongoing civil war. Despite this, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rolled out the red carpet for Mr. Assad, making the reception seem remarkably out of the ordinary.

Exceptional Opening of the Main Door

In an unprecedented move that may have gone unnoticed even by Mr. Assad himself, Lingyin Temple broke with long-standing tradition by opening its main door. According to a rule believed to have been set by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty more than two centuries ago, the temple’s main door remains closed to the general public.

Local tour guides often recount the legend to tourists: The Qianlong Emperor once visited the temple in disguise after hours. A young monk, not recognizing the royal visitor, refused him entry. The emperor, taking no offense, declared, “Since you won’t open the main door even for me, it shall remain closed to all henceforth.”

While the veracity of the story is unclear, it’s well-known among Hangzhou locals that the temple’s main door is usually shut year-round, and visitors typically enter through a side door. The main door was notably opened just once before, for Deng Xiaoping, a former leader of the CCP, some 40 years ago. This makes the opening of the main door for Mr. Assad all the more extraordinary.

Xi the Likely True Guest of Honor

Taken together, these unusual occurrences lend credence to the speculation that Lingyin Temple’s actual guest of honor may have been not Mr. Assad but Mr. Xi.

Before ascending to the highest echelons of the CCP, Mr. Xi served as the governor of Zhejiang Province for nearly five years, making him intimately familiar with Hangzhou. West Lake State Guesthouse, where Mr. Xi stayed during his recent visit, is a mere 3.7 miles away from Lingyin Temple. As such, it’s plausible that Mr. Assad’s seemingly impromptu visit to Lingyin Temple was a calculated move by Chinese officials to divert attention from a clandestine visit by Mr. Xi.

The Belief in the Supernatural: Xi’s Unveiled Mysticism

Lingyin Temple, founded in 326 A.D., boasts a history spanning nearly 1,700 years, making it one of China’s oldest and most venerated Buddhist temples. Situated in a setting considered extraordinarily beautiful by Huili, the Indian monk who founded it, the temple has long been a destination for emperors and notable figures throughout Chinese history.

The temple is also linked with the enigmatic Ji Gong, an unconventional monk who was ostracized for his nontraditional behavior but later venerated for his medical skills and purported miracles. Despite the destruction of more than 600 temples during the CCP’s Cultural Revolution, the Lingyin Temple was spared, likely due to its historical and cultural importance.

This mystical legacy aligns with revelations about Mr. Xi’s purported belief in supernatural forces. A 2009 telegram from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to Washington, released by WikiLeaks and classified as “confidential,” sheds light on this aspect of Mr. Xi’s persona.

The document, titled “Portrait of Vice President Xi Jinping: ‘Ambitious Survivor’ of the Cultural Revolution,” cites a professor—once a close friend of Mr. Xi and a long-standing contact of the U.S. Embassy—for insights into Mr. Xi’s character and beliefs.

According to this source, Mr. Xi exhibited a strong interest in Buddhist philosophy early in his career. The professor noted that during their interactions, Mr. Xi displayed a profound fascination with Buddhism, martial arts, qigong, and other esoteric practices believed to promote health, as well as sacred Buddhist sites.

While the professor couldn’t definitively say whether Mr. Xi’s interests were indicative of religious beliefs or simply a quest for physical and mental well-being, he was struck by Mr. Xi’s deep familiarity with these mystical subjects. This suggests that Mr. Xi may harbor beliefs in supernatural powers or, at the very least, has a deep-rooted interest in them.

This layer of mysticism, previously undisclosed, adds another dimension to Mr. Xi as a leader and makes the extraordinary events surrounding the Syrian president’s recent visit to Lingyin Temple all the more intriguing. Could it be that the temple, steeped in spiritual and historical significance, holds special meaning for Mr. Xi? And could this meaning have implications beyond mere statecraft? While speculative, these questions add a layer of complexity to the unfolding geopolitical narrative.

Deciphering Xi’s Mystical Quest: Prophecies, Politics, and Perplexing Signs

Two ancient Chinese prophecies—known as the “Iron Plate Diagram” and the “Back-Pushing Sketch (Tui bei tu)”—have been clandestinely passed down through generations, despite their bans during various Chinese dynasties. Both texts carry a haunting reputation for eerily accurate foresight, and they each point to highly ominous outcomes for Mr. Xi.

The last image in the Iron Plate Diagram illustrates four black birds flying between two mountain peaks, with a fifth white bird getting fatally struck on the right peak, its blood splattering onto the cliffside. The inscription below the image states, “The white-feathered bird dies upon the mountain.” Intriguingly, the current Chinese leader, who became the “fifth” leader of the CCP, has the name “Xi,” which symbolically resembles “white feather.”

The last image in the Iron Plate Diagram illustrates four black birds flying between two mountain peaks, with a fifth white bird getting fatally struck on the right peak, its blood splattering onto the cliffside.

Likewise, the 46th prophecy in the Back-Pushing Sketch forewarns of an emperor being ambushed by military personnel, possibly utilizing “bows and arrows.” Sources familiar with the matter told The Epoch Times that Mr. Xi associates the “bow” with modern-day rockets and satellites, fostering his heightened caution around military officials involved in missile launches and satellite operations. Arrests of high-ranking military personnel overseeing such endeavors further signify Mr. Xi’s paranoia.

According to the same sources, Mr. Xi isn’t merely cautious but deeply fearful due to his belief in the prophecies, going to lengths to neutralize perceived threats even within his Party.

This level of fear and belief has led to some perplexing and controversial actions. A placard bearing the name “People’s Republic of China” has been recently spotted in front of the central Buddha statue at Lingyin Temple’s main hall, sparking fierce debates online. Li Yiming, a current affairs commentator, finds this ironic, stating that the placard represents not China but the communist regime specifically—an atheist establishment paradoxically making its mark in a religious temple.

If Mr. Xi did indeed offer incense to this placard, it could indicate a crisis of confidence within his regime. But for a leader who repeatedly urges Party loyalty and disdains religious faith, making a divine plea seems counterintuitive, if not hypocritical. Yet, when grappling with looming fears drawn from ancient prophecies, perhaps even Mr. Xi finds that divine intervention is his last refuge.

Adding more layers of perplexity, Mr. Assad, a leader under international sanctions, was the sole foreign head of state at this year’s Asian Games opening ceremony. At about the same time, CCP mouthpiece People’s Daily featured an ancient Chinese poem that disparages rulers who lead their nations to downfall, curiously praising it as a poem that lauds Hangzhou. These developments are seen by many as unsettling signs, possibly indicating a murky future for the CCP.

The enigma surrounding Mr. Xi’s secretive visit to Lingyin Temple—and the many signs and prophecies associated with it—only serves to deepen the mystery surrounding China’s most powerful man. Whether these are mere coincidences or actual indicators of a future crisis remains to be seen.

Ellen Wan contributed to this report.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.