Lin Yaodong’s Ancestral Hall

Lin Yaodong is the chief antagonist in the anti‑drug drama The Thunder, modeled on Cai Dongjia, former Party secretary of Boshe village, Lufeng.

After making his first pot of gold by smuggling and trafficking in Hong Kong, Lin returned to Tazhai, promising to lead villagers to prosperity. He defeated Lin Zonghui in the village‑chief election and naturally became the clan patriarch of Tazhai. From then on, the ancestral hall became the hub through which he controlled Tazhai, produced and trafficked drugs, and resisted the police and judiciary.

Ancestral halls are products of clan relations. A clan patriarch invokes “bringing glory to the ancestors,” “blood is thicker than water,” “don’t shame the forebears,” and “clean the door” to control clan members. Most people can only obey and endure the unspoken rules — otherwise they are expelled or privately punished.

Lin was hardworking but not truly intelligent — worse, he thought he was. Classic greed clouding judgment, shown vividly in the ancestral‑hall showdown. When Ma Yunbo arranged to take Lin away, Lin entrusted Lin Yaohua with caring for his wife, told Lin Can to carry on the Lin family glory in Tazhai, and asked his son Lin Jingwen to quit the drug business. None of the three wishes came true: Lin Yaohua, Lin Can, and Lin Jingwen were all complicit in drug production/trafficking and were ultimately executed. Even at death’s door, Lin didn’t grasp that he had dragged his kin into an abyss.

Lin’s first appearance came when Li Fei stormed Tazhai on a rainy night to arrest Lin Shengwen — grand entrance, overbearing aura. His last scene: handcuffed by Ma Yunbo to a car handle while Li Fei accepted the arrest warrant from Cai Yongqiang and formally detained him. A once‑cunning drug lord, scheming to the end, exited with remarkably little dignity.

Published at: May 31, 2019 · Modified at: Dec 11, 2025