High-Profile Church Demolished in China Amid Communist Crackdown
Yazhong (Yayang) Church, an unregistered Protestant congregation in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, was demolished by Chinese authorities as part of an ongoing crackdown on Christian worship. According to a ChinaAid report, crews began tearing down the church from the top on May 18, adn by late morning on May 19 the sanctuary had been reduced to rubble.
The report says the church had been targeted for months, including a pre-dawn raid in December when 103 members were arrested and the authorities seized control of the building. Additional arrests reportedly occurred during the demolition,with some members previously jailed and others detained at the site.
A ChinaAid interview with an unnamed source describes strict security measures and high-tech surveillance around the demolition, including thermal infrared monitoring, checkpoints, and forced relocation of nearby residents. it also claims church members now fear being monitored through their WeChat groups.
The article notes that Open Doors ranks China 17th on its World Watch List for Christian persecution, citing government efforts to tightly control religious activity, particularly unregistered churches.
Chinese authorities demolished Yazhong Church, a prominent congregation in the eastern part of the country, as part of the communist government’s ongoing crackdown on Christian worship.
Yazhong Church — also known as Yayang Church — is an unregistered Protestant church located in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, according to a May 20 report from ChinaAid.
Crews with heavy-duty construction vehicles demolished the church building from the top down starting on May 18.
By late morning on May 19, the church’s “beautiful and ornate sanctuary” had been “reduced to rubble,” ChinaAid reported.
The outlet reported that Yazhong Church has been targeted by the Chinese Communist Party for several months.
Last December — less than two weeks before Christmas — authorities arrested 103 church members in pre-dawn raids, as well as seized control of the church building.
Four more church members were arrested as the demolition was occurring. They join the ranks of 18 other congregants who were previously jailed.
A subsequent interview by ChinaAid with an unnamed source — identified only as “Mr. A” — revealed a firsthand account of the demolition.
“The atmosphere that day was extremely terrifying. The street was filled with special police and officers,” he described.
“Barricades and checkpoints were established one to two kilometers from the site, and only authorized personnel were permitted to be nearby or to take photographs.”
Mr. A said that the government used “thermal infrared imaging” to monitor activity within a two-kilometer radius.
“Days before the demolition even began, individuals working with local authorities were stationed in all the nearby high-rise buildings to monitor the area, and residents were forcibly relocated,” he recounted.
“In the past few days, heavy construction vehicles have been hauling away the rubble, trying to leave behind no trace at all.”
Mr. A said that church members are now afraid to use church WeChat groups — even hesitating to use emojis — for fear of being monitored.
The authorities on site detained people who were seen with mobile phones or suspected of taking pictures.
“Under this kind of technologically intensive surveillance, before you even have time to send a photo out, you may already be located through backend monitoring and summoned immediately,” Mr. A said.
Open Doors ranks China as 17th on its World Watch List for Christian persecution.
There are nearly 100 million Christians in the country, but the Chinese Communist Party views the faith as “a threat that must be tightly controlled and contained.”
Churches are either registered with the state — meaning they are subjected to strict oversight and forced to align with communist ideology — or they are unregistered underground churches.
“This is an enormously brave move because it can bring raids, fines, arrests, imprisonments and the confiscation of materials,” Open Doors said.
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