ABSTRACT
Hu Jianxue, the former CPC Party Secretary of Tai’an City in Shandong province, was told by a fortune teller a few years ago that he was predestined to be the vice premier of China, but he needed a “bridge” for this to come true. As a result, he ordered a planned national highway be rerouted to go through a reservoir so that a bridge could be constructed, a decision costing tens of millions of dollars. The bridge is named Dai Lake Bridge, and Dai Lake is pronounced the same as “bring Hu” in Mandarin. So even the meaning of the bridge’s name was intended to help Hu achieve great success in his political career. Yet, it was not long before his behavior was exposed and he was fired. This bridge’s name is now known for another homophonic meaning: arrest Hu. 1
