Massimo Introvigne’s Visit to Lifechanyuan Second Home Thailand Branch

jiejing

A Bridge of the Heart Across Borders
— Massimo Introvigne’s Visit to Lifechanyuan Second Home Thailand Branch

Jiejing Celestial

October 2, 2025

(Edited by ChatGPT)

On the night of September 27, 2025, Chiang Mai Airport welcomed a distinguished scholar traveling from afar — Massimo Introvigne. He is a sociologist, attorney, editor-in-chief of Bitter Winter magazine, and the former Representative of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for combating racism, xenophobia, and intolerance and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions.

In this elder man, I did not see the usual detachment or aloofness of a scholar, but the humility and kindness of a senior. He came with deep care, willing to listen, to ask, and to engage in dialogue. What he shared with us went beyond academic knowledge and experience; it encompassed insights of the heart and the wisdom of LIFE.

On the afternoon of September 28, he arrived at Lifechanyuan Second Home Thailand Branch. Though the visit lasted only three days, it felt like a meeting of souls. His questions were detailed and profound: about sudden raids in China, about the dilemmas surrounding passports and refugee status, about misconceptions regarding human trafficking, about children’s education, and about paths for the Second Home's economic development and future hope.

As an experienced attorney, he analyzed risks and challenges with calm and clear logic; as a gentle sage, he shared with compassion the experiences of similar communities he had witnessed. He reminded us that notions of “truth” and “cult” are often inverted within narratives of power, while real suffering and voices require someone with patience and courage to listen.

These three days were like a bright lamp illuminating the path ahead, and also like a mirror reflecting our own situation and strength.

During the exchange, the members of the Thailand branch responded one by one. They spoke candidly about the raids and interrogations they had experienced in China, shared the peace and joy they had rediscovered in the Second Home, and expressed an attitude toward the future that was both confident and cautious. Massimo listened attentively, nodding frequently. At times he appeared thoughtful, at times deeply moved. He mentioned that he had witnessed many communities persecuted for their beliefs — Falun Gong, the Church of Almighty God, Uyghurs… Yet here, he saw a different kind of strength: a life force that is neither resentful nor angry, yet remains steadfast and resilient.

The exchange on September 29 was even deeper. He spoke about issues such as human trafficking and social insurance, showing concern for the education and growth of the children. He reminded us that, in the eyes of outsiders, any form of communal living could be misinterpreted as “human trafficking.” Therefore, it is all the more necessary to demonstrate our purity and goodwill in a civilized, transparent, and lawful manner. During the conversation, he also mentioned about the lives and marriages of overseas Chinese, noting that beyond material concerns and hard work, people long for spiritual comfort — perhaps this is precisely why Lifechanyuan touches hearts so deeply.

On September 30, the day of departure quietly arrived. He asked about our understanding of Satan, about the practice in the Thousand-year World, the Ten-thousand-year World and  the Elysium World, and about our views on the end of the world. We replied that we believe the future of humanity belongs to Lifechanyuan Era, and that the Second Home is a bridge to this new era.

A farewell evening of singing and dancing marked the warmest punctuation of his visit. The songs were melodious, the dances graceful, and the mooncakes and dumplings lovingly prepared by the members overflowed with sincere affection.

On the afternoon of September 30, the time to part came. He embraced each member of the Thailand branch one by one, his eyes full of reluctance. Only when seeing him off at the airport did he express his heartfelt words: “I do not know how to express my gratitude. This has truly been a moving visit.”

At that moment, farewell and gratitude intertwined, leaving warmth lingering in everyone’s hearts. His visit was not merely an academic observation or record, but a meeting of souls — an elder and a group of seekers, together witnessing the power of faith and LIFE.

I believe this visit is only the prologue. In the future, Massimo will devote himself to writing two articles about Lifechanyuan and the Second Home, allowing more people to feel the light of our life and faith. He also mentioned that a Canadian colleague from afar will embark on a journey to the Canada branch to interview Guide Xuefeng, continuing to share our story and letting it drift toward hearts far beyond.

The Story of Bitter Winter: Massimo Introvigne’s Sharing

Bitter Winter was born in 2018—not out of ambition, but out of disillusionment. After thirty years of dialogue with Chinese authorities, countless visits, and tireless efforts to advocate for religious liberty, I came to a painful realization: the conversations were not bridges, but traps. They served not to enlighten, but to legitimize propaganda. So, with a handful of steadfast friends, we chose a different path. We founded a magazine—not to theorize, but to testify. Bitter Winter would tell the real stories of religious persecution in China, stories that others dared not publish.

Our strength then, as now, lies in the courage of citizen journalists inside China. These brave souls send us rare and irreplaceable material—videos, photographs, and reports that pierce the veil of censorship. We were the only media outlet to receive footage from inside the concentration camps of Xinjiang, and to document the destruction of the colossal cliff-carved Guanyin statue in Hebei in 2019 (see the video https://bitterwinter.org/worlds- ... e-demolished-video/) These images reverberated across the globe, picked up by the BBC and major American networks. They also ignited fury in Beijing. More than forty individuals were imprisoned in China for the “crime” of sending information to Bitter Winter.

The irony was not lost on the Chinese authorities. They asked, with thinly veiled contempt, how a magazine published by private citizens in Italy had become the primary source for China in the U.S. State Department’s annual reports on religious liberty. But the answer was simple: truth travels farther than power.

In our early days, we dreamed big. Bitter Winter was published in eight languages, including Chinese. Every editor and reporter was a volunteer. Yet dreams have costs. We faced expenses for publishing, for cybersecurity, for defending ourselves against relentless hacking attempts. Translation alone was a financial mountain. Initially, we were sustained by donations from Chinese expatriates, but in 2020, the twin storms of COVID and the National Security Law in Hong Kong made such support a legal risk. Donations dwindled. By 2021, we had to scale back—publishing only in English, though we added an international section to our Chinese coverage.

Still, we grow. Six days a week, we publish two articles—one on China, one on the rest of the world. On Sundays, we rest. The Chinese government, however, does not. They produced a film against us—entirely fabricated, of course—claiming we inflict great damage and must be backed by U.S. intelligence. They alleged we employ “only 100 people.”

In truth, we are just three. None of us are paid.

But we are rich in conviction. Bitter Winter is not merely a publication—it is a witness, a resistance, a voice for those silenced. And as long as there are stories like yours that must be told, we will continue to tell them.

My Reflections

In him, I saw the unity of knowledge and humility.
He is a seasoned elder, with meticulous logic and clear thinking, yet gentle and humble.
He is like a wandering sage, telling us stories of life and the world in a calm, soothing voice.

As an ordinary Chinese woman, thanks to Lifechanyuan and the Second Home, I had the privilege of engaging closely with an internationally renowned scholar.
This fills me with gratitude and deepens my appreciation for the blessings of the Greatest Creator, as well as the values and significance embodied by Lifechanyuan and the Second Home.

I am deeply grateful for the strong support of Longpao Buddha, for the thoughtful arrangements of Director Yangle, and for the seamless cooperation of Sister Qianzi. I am especially moved by Chef Roumei — even with a swollen finger, she managed to prepare clean, tidy, and delicious meals using only one hand. At the same time, I wish to thank all brothers and sisters of the Thailand branch. Each person contributes in their own quiet way: some welcome the guest with a smile, some carefully arrange the environment, some translate and record attentively, and some silently safeguard logistics. All these little acts together embody what I see as the simplest and most moving spirit of the Second Home.

Massimo Introvigne’s Reflections

Below are two reflections written by Massimo Introvigne after his visit, in the original English:

Reflection One: Thoughts on the Thailand Home

After my recent visit to the Lifechanyuan Second Home in Thailand, I feel compelled to set aside the scholar’s pen and speak from the heart. I had studied your community from afar—poring over your websites, reading the poignant testimonies of unjust persecution in China sent to our magazine “Bitter Winter” by brave citizen journalists who, for their safety, write under pseudonyms. I had also exchanged correspondence with Sister Jiejing. Yet, no amount of reading or remote dialogue could prepare me for the quiet revelations that come only through immersion.

There is a principle in social scholarship known as participant observation. It suggests that to truly understand a community, one must live its rhythms, however briefly. And so I did. In those few days, I did not merely observe—I shared meals, laughter, silence, and the subtle grace of your daily life. What I encountered was not just a worldview, but a living testament to it: a community that embraces simplicity as liberation; that meets challenges with joy; that finds fulfillment in connection.

Each person I met carried a story—some marked by hardship, others by quiet resilience—but all converging into a shared pursuit of happiness and spiritual clarity. In a world that so often equates success with material wealth and status, your peaceful community stands as a luminous counterpoint. Perhaps few will choose the path you walk. But even those of us who do not must look to you—as a mirror and a reminder.

May the Creator shelter you in peace and preserve the light you carry. You have given me more than insight—you have offered a glimpse of what it means to live with purpose.

Massimo Introvigne
Sociologist, editor of the daily magazine “Bitter Winter,” the former Representative of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for combating racism, xenophobia, and intolerance and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions.

Reflection Two: Voices from Afar on Facebook

I spent the past few days in a remote location along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Although I also visited more quiet temples in Thailand during my trip, I did not post anything while I was there. The border area is not exactly Disneyland, particularly if you are a known opponent of China, whose presence in the area is felt. My purpose was to visit the “Second Home” of Lifechanyuan (LC, Life Zen Temple), a community heavily persecuted in China. When the large raid against their communities in China occurred in 2021, I published the only article on the events and LC in English (https://bitterwinter.org/life-zen-temple-banned-as-a-xie.../), based on information received from one of our citizen journalists in China (not a LC member) and publicly available reports by the Chinese police. Although LC liked the article, which led to (encrypted) correspondence with them, I now realize that I, the Chinese police, and a favorable article by a New York Times reporter who visited LC in 2014 when it was still tolerated in China emphasized the Communist connection of the group excessively. The founder, Guide Xuefeng, was a member of the Communist Party, uses the expression “Xuefeng Communism,” and occasionally references Marx and Mao, which members admit might lead outside observers astray (and perhaps protected the group in its early years in China—my comment, not theirs). However, none of those in the Thai Second Home was a CCP member in China. Only one former Taoist monk said he was fascinated by accounts of the Mao era. The others were spiritual seekers who traveled through Christianity, NRMs (one spent two years in jail as a Falun Gong practitioner), and the New Age, reading for example “The Secret” or being influenced by the “Maya” prophecy about 2012. Later, some even heard about the Italian Damanhur (through a German anthropologist who visited them in China). The founder himself who had a deep spiritual experience while working in Zimbabwe (see my 2021 article) had a passage in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, something important I discovered only by talking with veteran members (his son is still a JW). He was more influenced by Buddhism, various esoteric and gnostic ideas, and early Christianity than by Marxism, although his Second Homes are radical communities with no private property (all belongings are put in common), no family (there are sexual relationships and they are not against giving birth, but the idea is that children should be educated communally—although for now there is only one child in the Thai Second Home).

There are voluminous doctrinal writings I have just started exploring and I hope to be able to interview Guide Xuefeng, who lives in Canada. My adventurous visit was a scholarly pursuit (and perhaps I wanted to prove to myself that at age 70 I am not done with fieldwork in remote places) but I came out of it deeply moved by the experience. I met a happy community living a simple, challenging, yet fulfilling life. I came to know persons who kindly shared with me unique histories. Perhaps not many in the world will be persuaded to their idea to prioritize happiness, a simple life, and spiritual realization over material wealth and mundane success. Yet, those of us who do not make this choice, and may disagree with LC theology, do need communities like LC to function as a prophecy and remind us of what is really important in life. And thanks to the brothers and sisters for the delicious dumplings and mooncakes and for staging for me one of their musical shows (one gifted sister had even learned how to play the Italian ocarina in a music school in China).