ICC Note:
The “anti-church” campaign has been continued for almost one month since the demolition of Sanjiang Christian Church in Wenzhou city, the “Jerusalem of the East”. This article compiled the list of 64 churches that have been demolished either partially or completely. However, signs show that the government’s real purpose of this campaign is to outlaw house churches and 85 house churches are facing crackdown by the end of May.
Zhejiang: list and pictures of 64 demolished Christian churches
05/21/2014 China (AsiaNews)- The campaign of persecution against Christians in Zhejiang has led to the destruction of places of worship, the removal or obliteration of crosses, and a month-long clashes between Christians and police over churches and other places of worship. Meanwhile, the plan to demolish the “Jerusalem of the East” moves on relentless.
Rome (AsiaNews) – More than 60 churches in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, have received a demolition notice, have had some of their annexes demolished and crosses either removed or covered.
The dates in the list published below are not confirmed demolition dates, but rather the dates when the pictures of this sacrilege were posted on the web (at the bottom list, numbers refer to the building destroyed).
The city of Wenzhou (known as the Jerusalem of the East because of its sizable Christian community) has had the most churches demolished.
Yongjia County has the largest number of churches with crosses removed, and Sanjiang Church in Yongjia County, which cost 30 million yuan (US$ 4.8 million) to build, was demolished.
Due to pressure from the authorities, a few churches have not been able to send us timely information on demolition.
Following the campaign of church and crosses demolition in Wenzhou, there are signs that in late May, the authorities will start to outlaw house churches used by Christians who do not want to join state bodies. Some sources suggest that the government will start with 85 churches.
Some churches in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, have also been ordered to stop Sunday school programs offered to minors.
Here is a complete list and the pictures of the demolitions.
1. On Jan. 1, the Christian Church of Gou village, Liangzhu town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, was required by Liangzhu town government to remove the cross of Gou Village Church.
2. On Feb, 27, the cross of Huanghu Christian Church, Huanghu town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, was forcibly removed.
3-5: The crosses of Hangzhou Gulou Church, Sandun Church and Xingqiao Church are in the government’s list of crosses that will be demolished.
6. On Feb. 27, Baiquan Church in Baiquan town, Dinghai District, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, received a notice from the local government, demanding the church to remove its cross between Feb. 28 and March 1. On April 4, more than 100 SWAT and paramilitary police officers suddenly surrounded the church, and the cross was forcibly removed. Registered with the government, Baiquan Church built its church 15 years ago. The construction of the church was approved by the government and closely followed architectural drawings with no violation of the law.
7. In early April, the cross of Gangtou Church in Yantou town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou, was forcibly removed.
8. On April 4, the nursing home of Jiangjiaqiao Church in Yueqing County, Wenzhou was close to being demolished. Demolition stopped temporarily due to believers’ resistance.
9. On April 4, Guangming Christian Church in Rui’an city, Wenzhou, received a demolition notice demolition. The government demanded three churches located in Shibajia industrial district of Rui’an city to tear down parts of their church buildings before April 10.
10. On April 4, part of a church building under construction in Rui’an, Wenzhou, was demolished by the government.
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63. On May 17, the cross of Henglan’ao Catholic Church in Wuniu Street, Yueqing, Wenzhou, was demolished.
64. On May 17, the cross of Yantan Church in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, was demolished.
