Not long ago, Joe and I went to visit with some friends of ours, John and Christine Szeto. Originally from Hong Kong, they now reside in Atlanta. We met them a few years ago when they ran a little gift shop where we bought anime toys from Japan and Vivian Chow CDs from Hong Kong.

So while we were visiting I mentioned that lately I had really become interested in watching Hong Kong movies, mainly those of Chow Yun-Fat. Christine immediately started to grin at me.

"Chow Yun-Fat, he's a VERY big star." She said. "He was in the movie Du Shen, God of Gamblers. Have you seen it?"

I told her that yes indeedy I had, and it was one of my favorites. I told her that I had thought it was such a great movie that I had ordered the chocolates from the film to have at home, and that we went around our house yelling out "chocolate!" in Cantonese.

That's when Christine told me that the story of Du Shen is based on a real person, a renowned gambler from a famous Hong Kong family.

"But," she warned, "he can't change the cards - no magic, right?" And then she laughed.

She told me that "Du Shen" had once almost broken the bank at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (I immediately thought "loss-ah wegassy") and that the proprietors of the hotel had told him that anything he wanted he could have, as long as he would not continue to gamble that day. Since he could have any wish granted, the story went, he asked that Caesars Palace build a Buddhist temple on the grounds so that he and other Chinese people could visit it while in Las Vegas.

When I heard this I smiled and thought 'hey, a Chinese urban legend!' and thought it was sort of cute, but that was about it.

Until I started to become curious, that is. Most urban legends have at least a tiny kernel of truth to them, so what about this one?

While I was working on this website, my long-suffering significant other Joe undertook the task of running down the veracity of Christine's story. It didn't take him long - just a few instances of phone tag and one conversation with Margaret Kurtz in Public Relations at Caesars Palace.

Margaret didn't seem to find it odd that Joe should ask about a Buddhist temple being located on the grounds of a faux Greco-Roman palace... mainly because there is one there. Now that might not be much news to someone who has visited Caesars Palace, but there's a story behind that temple. (Of course, why else would I be writing this and you reading it?) It's not quite the way Christine had heard it, and it's not quite the version in the film, but I thought it was awfully coincidental!

Here's the official press release from Caesars Palace.

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The Brahma Shrine on the north lawn of Caesars Palace is an authentic replica of one of Thailand's most popular Buddhist shrines. The original was installed more than 30 years ago at the Erawan Hotel in Bangkok to ward off bad luck after the hotel had suffered various disasters during its construction. Troubles were said to have ended after the installation, and the hotel enjoyed success. Through the years, the Thai shrine has also been associated with good fortune and prosperity. The Caesars shrine, the only one of its kind in the Western world, was fashioned in Thailand. Its ceremonial pouring in Bangkok on November 25, 1983, was attended by nuns, priests and Thai dignitaries. The statue was a gift to Caesars from Thai newspaper tycoon Kamphol Vacharaphol and his wife Praneetslipa and from Mr. Yip Hon, a leading citizen of Hong Kong. It was cast in bronze and plated in gold. Its housing is pre-cast concrete covered with tiny pieces of beveled glass and meaures 14 feet high. Both the statue and the casing were assembled at Caesars Palace after air shipment in pieces. Their estimated total weight is more than 8,000 pounds. Formal dedication ceremonies at Caesars on February 5, 1984, were conducted under the supervision of Buddhist monks, with a troupe of 21 Thai dancers and musicians participating. Since that time, many visitors have expressed gratitude for wishes granted by offering flowers, joss sticks (incense), financial contributions (which Caesars donates to charities in Thailand) or by placing small wooden elephants nearby. Some have released live sparrows or arranged the services of dancers to perform at the statue, in keeping with customary observances. Thai-Buddhist tradition associates Brahma with creation. Brahma is believed to have ridden a three-headed elephant named Erawan, hence the connection with the Bangkok hotel, and the use of small elephants at both the Eastern shrine in Bangkok and the Western shrine in Las Vegas. The four faces of the Brahma statue represent the Four Divine States of Mind: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathy and Equanimity. At Caesars Palace, the Brahma Shrine stands as a tribute to an ancient culture, and a wish for prosperity and good luck to all who visit the resort.

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When Joe pressed Ms. Kurtz to know more about Mr. Yip Hon from Hong Kong, all she would say was he is a "very good customer". Yes, but did she think he was the Du Shen of the film? "Mr. Yip Hon is a VERY good customer," Ms. Kurtz repeated, and that was the end of that.

So there you have it. Is Yip Hon really Du Shen? Maybe, maybe not. It still makes a great story... and a great film.


- Leigh



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