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Read the following article published by Want China Times (http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130805000001&cid=1503 ):
Superstition prevalent among Chinese officials: report
China's disgraced former railways minister, Liu Zhijun, was a superstitious man throughout his career, according to the Chinese-language Beijing Evening News. Liu, given a death sentence with reprieve for acts of corruption during his time in office, reportedly burned incense at home and placed a stone in his office which he believed would bring him luck in his political career. He is also said to have consulted fortune tellers about major development projects.
In another example of superstitious behavior among Chinese officials, a fortune teller had told Hu Jianxue, a former secretary general of a municipal party committee in Shandong province, could become a vice premier if not for "the lack of a bridge in his life." Hu therefore rerouted a highway under construction through a reservoir and built a bridge over it. He has yet to become a vice premier.
Zhou Weihuang, a former police chief in Guangdong province, took more than 400,000 yuan (US$65,200) in bribes. His predecessor had been caught taking bribes, but Zhou felt that this was due to bad feng shui and he could avoid the same fate by rebuilding the front gate of the public security bureau.
A talk show on state broadcaster CCTV exposed the "misdeeds" of Wang Lin, a celebrity qigong master who had given advice to Liu Zhijun and is said to have made a fortune from giving advice to wealthy people including film stars. The TV program stated that one of Wang's followers had paid him 7.6 million yuan, but to no avail. Wang's luxurious mansion has also drawn criticism.
Some officials believe fortune tellers have helped them remove barriers blocking their advancement. Ren Jianming, a professor at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said such beliefs come from the many unpredicatable variables in Chinese politics that can help or hinder a career.
Professor Zheng Wangeng from Beijing Normal University said on the other hand that officials seek advice from fortune tellers because they lack self-confidence.
A survey conducted by the China National School of Administration in 2007 revealed that 52.4% of county-level public servants were superstitious, a figure that would no doubt have Mao Zedong and the previous generations of Communist Party leaders spinning in their graves.
The Beijing Evening News said fortune tellers were not breaking any laws by offering suggestions to officials, but consulting them goes against against the scientific atheism that is a fundamental tenet of the Communist Party. Meanwhile, some feng shui or qigong "masters" actually serve more as brokers who help businesspeople develop contacts with officials.
