Shandong Tengzhou City, Guanqiao Town plans to build a crematorium near the residential area, triggering strong opposition from local villagers. Starting on June 21, hundreds of villagers from Donghonglin Village protested by blocking the roads for two consecutive days, leading to intense confrontation with the police and security guards present. During the protest, physical conflicts broke out, leaving several people injured and one female villager among them.
Protesters questioned the chosen site for the crematorium, expressing concerns that its proximity to the village and water source might cause air pollution from the burning smoke and dust, posing risks to the ecological environment and residents’ health. On July 3, Mr. Li, a villager, told a reporter from The Epoch Times, “The crematorium is only two kilometers away from our drinking water source, with several thousand people residing in the surrounding areas. The dust emitted from the chimney will surely affect the air quality, and we are all very worried.”
Another villager surnamed Huang told the reporter that the project is an expansion project of a funeral parlor, but the villagers’ opinions were never sought. “The government clearly knew of our strong opposition, yet they are pushing it forward forcibly. What’s most outrageous is that the crematorium is less than fifteen meters away from the nearest residential house.”
It is reported that in recent days, hundreds of people from villages like Donghonglin, Zhonghonglin, and Xihonglin have signed and submitted protest letters explicitly opposing the construction of the local funeral parlor expansion project in the residential area. During the protest, villagers hung banners and occupied the main roads to express their discontent.
Faced with the mass protests, authorities did not provide a direct response but instead deployed a large number of police and security forces to the scene, leading to a standoff and even physical clashes. Some villagers said that during the conflicts, people were pushed to the ground, and some were beaten and injured, causing the situation to briefly spiral out of control.
Short videos circulating online show villagers at the scene displaying heightened emotions, with some carrying objects resembling a corpse and others sitting on the roadside in anguish.
The reporter tried to contact the administrative office of Guanqiao Town, and the staff only mentioned that the project is led by the Tengzhou Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, stating, “We are not informed, and the project is arranged by the municipal government.”
The reporter also attempted to reach the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, but the calls went unanswered.
Despite the ongoing events for several days, mainstream and local media in mainland China have maintained silence on the issue, and related videos have been deleted or restricted. Villagers mentioned that they have submitted materials to higher-level petition departments but have yet to receive a response.
In recent years, the selection of crematorium sites in various parts of China has sparked public grievances. In December 2024, residents of Jinma Town, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan successfully protested, compelling the government to withdraw the construction plan. In November 2019, residents of Wenlou Town, Huazhou, Guangdong collectively opposed a crematorium project, leading to police firing warning shots and tear gas. Similar clashes have occurred in Bobai County, Guangxi, and other regions in Guangdong in 2015, some resulting in bloodshed.
Commentator Zhao Xin, in an interview, stated that such protests reflect the widespread issues of lack of transparency and insufficient public consultation by local governments in promoting major livelihood projects: “With the increasing public environmental awareness, if the government neglects environmental assessments and community communication, it could easily trigger collective events. Establishing effective public participation mechanisms, such as holding hearings and seeking public opinions before making decisions related to people’s livelihoods, is a pressing challenge in current grassroots governance.”
Currently, whether the protests by Donghonglin villagers can lead to a reevaluation of the project remains to be seen. Villagers indicated that they will continue to voice their demands through legal channels until the authorities provide a clear response.