First, Guangdong officials were expected to recite Xi Jinping’s eight-point guideline (八项规定) on official conduct as well as to cut back on their first-class flight privileges. Now, they’ll have to brave the latest such measures introduced by the government—a tour to a high-tech–boasting, real-life–simulating anti-corruption education camp that will “make a visiting corrupted official break out in cold sweat”.

The self-described “innovative and multi-media equipped” education camp has been visited by more than 50,000 officials in Guangdong last year; more than 40,000 of these are from department-level government organs, China News reported on April 29. Some officials even went back for a second or third tour as it offers a “baptismal-like effect on one’s soul and heart” (心灵洗礼), the report said.

The anti-corruption education camp in Guangdong (Photo credit: China News)

One example of the camp is a room filled with different confiscated goods including paintings and porcelain. A division head surnamed Li recalled his tour to the room and said after a video was played, four characters 万丈深渊 (meaning “the unfathomable abyss” in English) appeared on the ground along with a thin layer of ice with images of the character 贪 (meaning “greed” in English) and money. Upon stepping on the word “greed”, the ice layer will “break”, revealing a pitch-dark abyss. Just in case you fail to imagine the impact of the scene, Li said, “if a corrupt official saw this, he would break out in a cold sweat.”

The camp also has videos of corrupted officials confessing to their crimes on big screens and on small TV screens installed all over the room, all showing images of remorseful officials weeping, confessing their crimes and apologizing to the Party and the people (of course). To make the tour more personalized, viewers can choose which confessions to watch.

In addition, simulations of officials’ “money hideouts” through the use of a “mirror” were also part of the camp tour. Viewers can set different images of temptations in the “mirror”, but when reaching out to the temptations, they will break into pieces with an alarming tag reminding one of their upright conduct and pure thoughts.

Some officials left some emotionally charged comments describing the tour as “core-shaking and awe inspiring.”

According to figures released by the central discipline commission, the anti-graft department has investigated 72 Guangdong officials from December 6, 2012 to April 11, 2014. Maybe those were the unfortunate ones missed out on the re-education camp tour.

Home page photo credit: RFA