Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel: Episode 3

Bo Xilai’s political rise in Chongqing transformed the city into a high-stakes arena of populist grandstanding, mass propaganda, and aggressive crackdowns on alleged mafia elements. By leveraging the brutal efficiency of police chief Wang Lijun—a figure defined by narcissism and extreme paranoia—Bo consolidated power through the systematic confiscation of assets from the wealthy. This volatile environment set the stage for the death of British business fixer Neil Heywood at the Lucky Holiday Hotel. While official accounts initially attributed his demise to excessive alcohol consumption, the lack of an autopsy and the rapid cremation of his remains fueled suspicions of murder. The subsequent unraveling of the alliance between Bo, his wife Gu Kailai, and Wang Lijun eventually culminated in a desperate, high-profile flight by the police chief to an American consulate, exposing the deep-seated corruption and lethal internal rivalries within the regime.