In 1949, when the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, a warlord who had been in power quietly left the fiefdom he had ruled for many years. He took unimaginable wealth with him, but left behind the resentment of hundreds of people. This person is Ma Hongkui, the "Ningma" in the northwest, and the former king of Ningxia. He fled to the United States with 7.5 tons of gold, expecting to start a new chapter in his life, but he did not expect to find himself in such an embarrassment in his later years. His life story is legendary: from feudal warlord to fugitive tycoon, to regretful homesickness in his later years. What kind of experience made this once inspiring character finally want to return to his homeland? Why did he take such a huge amount of wealth with him? What is life like in the U.S.? Let's unveil the mystery of Ma Hongkui's legendary life.
The rise of the Ma family: from a small official in the border to a hero in the northwest
It is said that Ma Hongkui's father, Ma Fuxiang, was originally just an inconspicuous official in Linxia, Gansu. Who would have thought that this unknown petty official could rise in the troubled times and lay the foundation for the future glory of the Ma family.
In the twenty-first year of Guangxu (1895), a huge uprising broke out in the Hehuang area. The imperial court was furious and ordered local officials to suppress it. Ma Fuxiang smelled the breath of opportunity and resolutely led his troops to participate in the counterinsurgency. His performance can be described as brilliant, not only quelling the rebellion, but also being appreciated by the imperial court for his merits, and he has become a high-profile upstart.
This battle not only allowed Ma Fuxiang to gain a firm foothold in officialdom, but also gave him a taste of the sweetness of power. Since then, this ambitious frontier official has begun his road to ascension.
Time is like an arrow, and in a blink of an eye, it came to the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (1900). The Eight-Nation Coalition invaded Beijing, and the Empress Dowager Cixi fled westward. At this time, Ma Fuxiang had already prospered in official fortune and served as the governor of Gansu. He decisively organized his troops and escorted the Queen Mother to evacuate safely. This move can be described as killing two birds with one stone: it not only protects the safety of the queen mother, but also makes her status in the court to a higher level.
The Empress Dowager Cixi still remembers Ma Fuxiang's loyalty vividly. After returning to Beijing, she was very fond of Ma Fuxiang, often summoned him, and rewarded him constantly. Ma Fuxiang's fame spread in the capital and became a hot upstart.
The times have changed, and Yuan Shikai has ascended to the throne of the president. As a shrewd politician, Ma Fuxiang quickly got on the line with Yuan Shikai. His talent and loyalty were soon appreciated by Yuan Shikai. When Yuan Shikai wanted to appoint him as the head of Qinghai, Ma Fuxiang politely declined.
This refusal is really surprising. You must know that in the political arena at that time, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be favored by Yuan Shikai. But Ma Fuxiang has bigger ambitions – his eyes have long been set on the fertile land of Ningxia.
In order to achieve this goal, Ma Fuxiang did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to buy joints. The hard work paid off, and he finally got his wish and was appointed as the chief soldier of Ningxia. From then on, the Ma family took root in Ningxia and began the construction of their "small feudal kingdom".
Ma Fuxiang knows the way of power. He understands that in order to gain a firm foothold in Ningxia, it is not enough to rely on himself. So, he began to vigorously cultivate his own power, recruit talents, and win people's hearts. At the same time, he did not forget to collect money. In his view, money and power are like two sides of the same coin, one is indispensable.
In this way, Ma Fuxiang expanded his influence in Ningxia step by step, laying a solid foundation for the Ma family's rule in this land. His son Ma Hongkui grew up in such an environment.
Ma Hongkui has been exposed to it since he was a child and is well versed in the art of power. He watched how his father rose in troubled times and how he established his power in Ningxia. These became valuable experiences for him to rule Ningxia in the future.
In 1933, the opportunity finally came to Ma Hongkui. With his father's prestige and his own skills, he was successfully elected chairman of the Kuomintang Ningxia Province. Since then, Ma Hongkui has become a veritable "King of Ningxia" and started his 17-year reign.
Ma Hongkui knew that in order to consolidate his rule, he must firmly control the party, government, and military power in Ningxia. Thus, he began a series of power consolidations. He first took into possession of important positions such as commander-in-chief, provincial chairman, and director of the provincial party department. In this way, Ningxia's military and political power was concentrated in his hands.
At the same time, Ma Hongkui did not forget his father's teachings. He clearly knew that in order to achieve long-term peace and stability in this land, force alone was not enough. As a result, he began to vigorously develop his network of contacts and gather forces from all sides. Under his management, the Ma family's influence in Ningxia has been expanding day by day, and it has gradually become a force to be reckoned with in the northwest region.
In this way, the Ma family has developed step by step from an obscure family of small officials to a northwest hero who calls for wind and rain. And this is only the beginning of Ma Hongkui's legendary life. What awaits him next will be even more thrilling power games and, ultimately, inevitable defeat.
Iron-fisted rule: arbitrary, repressive dissent, and tyrannical extortion
Ma Hongkui's rule in Ningxia can be described as an iron-fisted method. He knew that to maintain his rule in this turbulent land, he had to take tough measures. As a result, he began a series of arbitrary acts, suppressing dissidents, and extorting tyranny.
First, Ma Hongkui had a firm grip on Ningxia's military power. He reorganized the army in Ningxia and formed his own descendant troops. This unit is not only well-equipped, but also absolutely loyal. Ma Hongkui also set up military posts in various parts of Ningxia to closely monitor movements throughout the region. Any disturbance that might threaten his rule will be quickly extinguished.
Politically, Ma Hongkui has adopted a high-pressure policy. He set up a secret service to monitor and crack down on dissidents. Anyone who disagrees with his rule is considered an enemy. Rumor has it that Ma Hongkui's spy agency has even infiltrated every corner of Ningxia, and even the gossip on the streets and alleys cannot escape their ears and eyes.
In 1936, an incident fully demonstrated Ma Hongkui's iron-fisted rule. At that time, there was a student movement in Ningxia, and the students demanded better educational conditions and better teaching quality. This was a normal thing, but in Ma Hongkui's eyes, it became a challenge to his rule. He did not hesitate to order a crackdown, and hundreds of students were arrested, many of them in prison. After this incident, Ningxia's intellectuals were silent and no longer dared to openly express any dissatisfaction.
Ma Hongkui's iron-fisted rule was not only reflected in the political and military aspects, but also in the economic aspect, he also adopted a policy of expropriation and extortion. In order to maintain his large army and power structure, Ma Hongkui implemented a strict tax system in Ningxia. Not only did he dramatically increase the original taxes, but he also created many new ones.
For example, Ma Hongkui set up a "protection tax". Nominally to protect the interests of merchants, in fact it is a disguised blackmail. Merchants must regularly pay a large "protection fee" to Ma Hongkui's government, or face all kinds of harassment. There is also an "entertainment tax", which even ordinary people have to pay when they sing a play or watch a movie during festivals. These complicated taxes have made the people of Ningxia miserable.
In 1939, Ningxia was hit by a severe natural disaster, and a severe drought led to a reduction in grain production. Faced with this situation, instead of reducing the burden on the people, Ma Hongkui intensified his taxation. He ordered a "special tax for disaster relief," which he claimed was to raise funds for disaster relief, but in fact most of it went into his own pocket. In this year, a large number of peasants in Ningxia were forced to sell their sons and daughters, or even sell themselves into slavery because they could not pay taxes.
Ma Hongkui's expropriation was not limited to ordinary people, but even some wealthy businessmen could not escape the clutches. In 1941, Wang Defu, the largest cloth merchant in Ningxia, was arrested on charges of "collaborating with the enemy" for refusing to "pay tribute" to Ma Hongkui, and all his family property was confiscated. This incident caused great panic in Ningxia's business circles, and from then on, Ningxia's wealthy businessmen obediently offered to Ma Hongkui, not daring to disobey at all.
In addition to taxation, Ma Hongkui also monopolized Ningxia's main economic lifeline. He controlled important industries such as salt, tobacco, and liquor in Ningxia, and all the profits from these industries flowed into his pocket. Ma Hongkui also opened casinos and opium smoke parlors on a large scale to make huge profits. It is said that the income from casinos and opium smoke parlors alone accounts for one-third of Ma Hongkui's annual income.
Ma Hongkui's iron-fisted rule and tyrannical conquest brought profound disasters to Ningxia. During his reign, Ningxia's economic development stagnated and people's livelihood withered. A large number of peasants went bankrupt and became homeless. Industry and commerce in the city are also unsustainable, with many shops closing and factories shutting down. The whole of Ningxia was shrouded in a gloomy mist.
However, Ma Hongkui doesn't seem to care about this. He continued to go his own way and live a life of luxury. It is said that his official residence was luxuriously decorated and comparable to that of a royal palace. He also often held grand banquets to which celebrities from all over the world were invited. At these banquets, there are all kinds of delicacies, delicious food and wine. At the same time, ordinary people in Ningxia are struggling to survive in hunger and cold.
Ma Hongkui's iron-fisted rule, although it maintained his rule in the short term, also laid the groundwork for his future defeat. His tyranny caused discontent among the general population and alienated many of those who had supported him. When the wheel of history rolls forward, Ma Hongkui cannot escape the fate of failure after all.
The general trend is gone: the political situation has changed, it is difficult to protect itself, and it is difficult to flee with huge wealth
In 1949, the political situation in Chinese mainland changed dramatically. The Kuomintang was defeated one after another, and the ranks of the Communist Party swept the country like a rolling torrent. This great change made Ma Hongkui, who was originally high, sit on pins and needles. He knew that his rule had come to an end.
Ma Hongkui once thought that with his foundation of operating in Ningxia for many years, even if the overall situation has been decided, he can protect himself in the troubled times. However, the wheels of history were crushed, and he could not afford to leave anything to chance.
In August 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was already in the city. Ma Hongkui only realized at this time that his rule was shaky. He hurriedly gathered his henchmen to discuss countermeasures, only to find that his former cronies had become disheartened. Some advocated surrender, some suggested resisting to the end, and some proposed fleeing to Taiwan. Faced with divergent suggestions, Ma Hongkui was in a dilemma.
Just when Ma Hongkui was hesitating, an unexpected news came: his descendants had mutinied. This army, which was once loyal to him, has now become the last straw that crushes him. Ma Hongkui was shocked to realize that his rule had existed in name only.
At this critical juncture, Ma Hongkui made a decision: flee to Taiwan. But he knew that it would be difficult to gain a foothold if he left empty-handed. So, he began to secretly plot to take away the wealth he had accumulated over the years.
Ma Hongkui's wealth accumulation can be described as amazing. Years of expropriation have allowed him to accumulate countless gold and silver treasures. One of the most striking is the 7.5 tonnes of gold. This gold was accumulated by various means during Ma Hongkui's reign in Ningxia. Some were looted from the common people, some were made from monopoly industries, and some were said to have been stolen from ancient tombs.
In order to transfer this wealth safely, Ma Hongkui made a careful plan. He secretly shipped the gold in batches to Hong Kong, and from Hong Kong to Taiwan. In order to hide his eyes, he even used the power of the army to disguise gold as military supplies for transportation.
However, things did not go as smoothly as Ma expected. During transportation, a shipment of gold was intercepted by his own cronies. These subordinates, who once obeyed him, have now become betrayers of him. Only then did Ma Hongkui realize how fragile his former loyalty was in the face of interests.
Despite the setbacks, Ma eventually managed to transfer most of his wealth to Taiwan. In September 1949, on the eve of the People's Liberation Army's imminent invasion of Ningxia, Ma Hongkui took his family and remaining wealth and left Ningxia on a special plane that he had ruled for many years.
The moment the plane took off, Ma Hongkui looked through the porthole for the last time at the land where he once called for wind and rain. On the ground, his official residence has been occupied by angry people, and the once prominent "King of Ningxia" has now been reduced to a lost dog.
Ma Hongkui's escape caused an uproar in Ningxia. Years of pent-up grievances erupted like a volcano. People stormed Ma Hongkui's official residence and looted all the belongings inside. The once fearsome secret service collapsed in an instant, and those who had done so much evil either fled in a hurry or were captured by the angry people.
Ma Hongkui's cronies also defected. Some people took the initiative to surrender to the PLA, while others took advantage of the chaos to abscond with money. For a time, Ma Hongkui's painstaking ruling system for many years collapsed.
However, Ma Hongkui's escape did not end there. After a brief stay in Taiwan, he soon realized that he would struggle to gain a foothold there. The KMT's top brass was suspicious of the former warlord, and his escape with huge wealth caused many people to covet him.
After much deliberation, Ma Hongkui made an unexpected decision: to go to the United States. He believes that the safety of himself and his wealth can only be ensured if he is far from China. In this way, the former "King of Ningxia", with his 7.5 tons of gold and other wealth, embarked on a journey to the United States.
Ma Hongkui's escape not only marked the end of his personal rule, but also symbolized the end of an era. With his departure, the land of Ningxia finally got rid of the situation of warlordism and ushered in a new chapter in history. And Ma Hongkui himself will also start a new stage of his life in a foreign country, a chapter of life full of luxury, profligacy, but ultimately regret.
Exotic: spending money like dirt, living extravagantly, regretting in old age
After Ma Hongkui arrived in the United States with a huge fortune, he began his new life in a foreign country. The former "King of Ningxia", in this strange land of the United States, has embarked on a jaw-dropping life of extravagance and extravagance.
When he first arrived in the United States, Ma Hongkui chose Los Angeles, California, as his place of residence. He purchased a multi-acre luxury villa in Beverly Hills, which not only features grand European architecture, but also a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a private cinema. The price of this villa alone was in the millions of dollars, which was astronomical at the time.
Ma Hongkui's extravagant life soon attracted the attention of the local upper class. He often throws big parties to which Hollywood stars and celebrities of politics and business are invited. These parties are filled with delicious food and fine champagne and whiskies flowing like water. It is said that at a party, Ma Hongkui even invited the then Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe as a special guest, which caused a sensation.
In addition to mansions and parties, Ma Hongkui also showed a boundless love for luxury. He has a large collection of luxury watches, including several limited editions of Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. His garage was filled with the most expensive luxury cars of the time, from Rolls-Royces to Ferraris. It is said that he even ordered a gold-plated Cadillac, which attracted street onlookers every time he traveled.
Ma Hongkui's extravagance is not limited to material comforts. He is also an avid gambler and frequents the casinos in Las Vegas. At the table, he would bet hundreds of thousands of dollars at every turn, win and reward casino staff, and not care if he lost. On one occasion, he lost nearly a million dollars in one night, but continued to gamble the next day as if nothing had happened.
However, Ma Hongkui's extravagant life did not come without a price. Over time, the wealth he brought with him began to deplete rapidly. By the mid-1960s, his finances had begun to fall into trouble. In order to maintain his high expenses, he had to start selling his assets.
At the same time, Ma Hongkui's health has also deteriorated. The long-term drunken life has caused him to suffer from a variety of chronic diseases. He began to go in and out of the hospital frequently, and medical expenses became another major expense for him.
By the 1970s, Ma Hongkui's situation was much worse than before. He had to move out of the luxury villa and rent an ordinary apartment. The lavish parties of yesteryear are gone, and the celebrities who once flocked to him have gradually distanced themselves from him.
Under such circumstances, Ma Hongkui began to look back on his life. He recalled his actions during his reign in Ningxia, the people he oppressed, and the opponents he brutally suppressed. These memories kept him awake at night, and he often cried alone in the middle of the night.
In 1977, Ma Hongkui, who was already in his prime, rarely expressed his remorse in an interview with the Chinese media. "I did a lot of wrong things when I was young and hurt a lot of people," he said. If I could do it all over again, I would choose a different path. These remarks caused quite a stir in the overseas Chinese community.
In his later years, Ma Hongkui also began to pay attention to philanthropy. He donated what he had left to a number of charities, including some that help underprivileged areas in China. Some people think it's his atonement, while others think it's just a show for him. In any case, these actions did bring some solace to his later life.
One evening in the autumn of 1978, Ma Hongkui, who was over seventy years old, died lonely in his humble apartment. His funeral was simple and unhurled, attended only by a few old friends and relatives. The "King of Ningxia", who once called for wind and rain, finally ended his legendary and controversial life in such a way.
Ma Hongkui's life, from the iron-fisted ruler of Ningxia to the American money-squandering tycoon, to the down-and-out old man in his later years, can be called a realistic version of the story of "from heaven to hell". His experience was not only the ups and downs of his personal fortunes, but also a microcosm of that turbulent era.
7.5 tons of gold: the whereabouts are unknown, and there are different opinions, which has become an unsolved case
The 7.5 tonnes of gold that Ma Hongkui carried has become a mystery that has long puzzled historians and treasure hunters. The whereabouts of this huge fortune remains an unsolved mystery to this day, sparking countless speculations and rumors.
When Ma Hongkui left Ningxia, he did take a lot of wealth with him, the most notable of which was the 7.5 tons of gold. However, the exact whereabouts of this gold are a mystery. Some say they were hidden in Taiwan, others were taken to the United States, and others claim that they had been secretly transferred to bank vaults in Switzerland. These claims are disturbing, but they lack conclusive evidence.
In the early 1950s, there were rumors that Ma had deposited some of his gold with a bank in Hong Kong. It is said that he made several secret trips to Hong Kong to deal with the gold. However, the Hong Kong banking community has been silent on the matter, and there are no official records to confirm this claim.
Another widely circulated theory is that Ma Hongkui brought most of the gold to the United States. Proponents of this argument point out that Ma Hongkui's extravagant life in the United States is the best proof of this. They believe that without this gold as a support, Ma Hongkui would not have been able to maintain such a high-profile lifestyle in the United States. However, U.S. Customs records do not show that Ma Hongkui entered the country with such a large amount of gold.
There is also a more bizarre theory that Ma Hongkui had secretly buried most of his gold somewhere in Ningxia before he fled Ningxia. Proponents of this theory believe that Mr. Ma may have kept a hand in the hope that he would one day return to his homeland. However, many searches in Ningxia over the years have been fruitless, and this claim has gradually lost credibility.
In the 1960s, a man claiming to be a former confidant of Mr. Ma appeared in Taiwan and claimed to know the whereabouts of some of the gold. He said that Ma Hongkui had entrusted him with a batch of gold for safekeeping, and was now willing to pay a certain percentage of the whereabouts of the gold to those who were interested. The news caused a stir at one point, but it was eventually turned out to be a hoax. This so-called "cronie" is a liar, who took advantage of people's curiosity about Ma Hongkui's gold and defrauded many people of their money.
In the 1970s, another story began to circulate. It is said that in his later years, Ma Hongkui donated most of his gold to various charities as a way to atone for his sins. However, no charity has publicly admitted to receiving such a large donation, and this claim is not true.
As time went on, rumors about this batch of gold grew, but the truth became more and more obscure. Some say that the gold has been quietly sold by Ma Hongkui's descendants, some say that it was secretly confiscated by the US government, and others claim that the gold was actually lost long ago during Ma Hongkui's escape.
After Ma Hongkui's death, some of his relatives tried to trace the whereabouts of the gold, but to no avail. Rumor has it that Ma Hongkui left a will detailing the whereabouts of the gold, but this will has never been made public.
In the 21st century, this mystery still attracts the attention of many people. Some adventurers and treasure hunters are still actively searching for clues to this batch of gold. They rummaged through historical archives, interviewed the descendants of the people involved, and even used modern technology to probe in the hope of finding this legendary wealth.
However, as time goes by, there are fewer and fewer people in the know, and relevant evidence becomes more and more difficult to find. The true whereabouts of this batch of gold seem to have become a mystery that can never be solved.
Some historians believe that the value of this gold has far exceeded its economic value. It has become a symbol, a piece of history from that turbulent era, and the eternal quest for wealth in human nature. Whether or not this gold is ultimately found, the legends and explorations it has sparked have become a unique and interesting chapter in China's modern history.
Today, while discussions about this gold still occur from time to time, most people have come to see it as a historical mystery that is difficult to unravel. The legend of this 7.5 tons of gold may forever maintain its mystery and become an eternal mystery in the long river of history.