In times of uncertainty, many people turn to fortune-telling or divination for guidance — and political leaders are no exception. Both Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Kuomintang, and Mao Zedong, head of the Chinese Communist Party, once sought answers from Taoist seers. But while Chiang Kai-shek only partly followed the advice he received, Mao Zedong obeyed it with great care. The paths they chose may have shaped not only their own fates, but the fate of China itself.
Chiang Kai-shek’s visit to Luofu Mountain
In 1925, following the death of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek rose to prominence as his political successor. That autumn, the Nationalist government in Guangzhou launched a second eastern expedition to suppress warlords still active in Guangdong Province. As the commander of the expedition and head of the Whampoa Military Academy, he traveled to Huizhou — and made a detour to nearby Luofu Mountain to rest and pray.
His first stop was Chongxu Temple, a famous Taoist site said to have been founded by Ge Hong during the Eastern Jin dynasty more than 1,500 years earlier. Upon arrival, however, the temple’s priest told him: “Our practice emphasizes harmony between a person and spiritual energy. Su Lao Temple is more closely connected to your destiny.” Puzzled but respectful, Chiang Kai-shek accepted the advice and continued on.
At Su Lao Temple, the Taoist priest seemed to be expecting him. The two spoke for hours late into the night. As he prepared to leave, the priest offered a cryptic message: “If victorious, stay in Sichuan. If defeated, remain by the bay.” Chiang Kai-shek asked for clarification, but the priest merely smiled and replied: “Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed.”
The cost of ignoring a prophecy
Twelve years later, in 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China. The Nationalists were gradually pushed inland, eventually relocating the capital to Chongqing in Sichuan Province. From this mountainous stronghold, Chiang Kai-shek led the resistance and helped secure the eventual victory in the war.
Yet instead of remaining in Sichuan Province as advised, Chiang Kai-shek returned to Nanjing after the war’s end. Just four years later, in 1949, the Nationalists were defeated by Communist forces. Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan, where he spent the rest of his life. In the end, the outcome echoed the priest’s prophecy.
Some historians have speculated: Had he chosen to remain in Sichuan, could the Communists have been kept from taking the mainland? While no one can rewrite history, it is striking how closely the seer’s words mirrored the course of events.
Mao Zedong waits for the right moment
In contrast, Mao Zedong followed his spiritual advice to the letter. On January 31, 1949, after reaching a peaceful agreement with General Fu Zuoyi, Communist forces entered Beijing. Around that time, Mao Zedong and his entourage moved from Xibaipo to a villa complex on the outskirts of the city, near what is now Wanshou Road.
Although Beijing was already under Communist control and likely safer than the suburbs, Mao Zedong refused to enter the city right away. He waited — cautiously — for more than half a year. The reason: he was waiting for an auspicious date.
Advice from the ‘Half-Immortal’ of Western Hills
Mao Zedong had heard of a renowned Taoist hermit known as the “Half-Immortal” who lived in the Western Hills and was said to be remarkably accurate in his divinations. He first sent a bodyguard to find the man, but the seer refused to speak with him, saying the man carried too much “murderous energy.” Mao Zedong then dispatched a trusted secretary instead.
Midway up the mountain, the secretary encountered the old Taoist, who greeted him with a calm remark: “I’ve been waiting for you. I understand your Chairman’s intent.”
The seer then gave precise instructions: “He must enter the city on the day with the largest odd-numbered digits. And he must never enter the Forbidden City. The imperial aura there clashes with his fate.”
With that, the Taoist vanished into the mountains.
The meaning of ‘8341’
Mao Zedong followed the advice exactly. Although his forces had taken Beijing in January, he waited until 9 a.m. on September 9, 1949 — a date and time consisting entirely of the largest odd numbers — before officially entering the city. And as instructed, he never set foot inside the Forbidden City.
Years later, in the 1960s, following the upheaval caused by several disastrous political campaigns, Mao Zedong sent the same secretary to seek out the Taoist again. This time, the old man was waiting at the mountain pass. Without a word, he handed over a slip of paper and disappeared.
On the paper was a single number: 8341.
He couldn’t understand its meaning, but he took it seriously. He later ordered his personal security force to adopt “8341” as its official designation. Only after his death did the number’s meaning become clear: Mao Zedong lived to be 83 years old and held power for 41 years — from the Zunyi Conference in 1935 until his death in 1976.
Translated by Elaine
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