Recently, reports have emerged from Hebei that individuals were forced to delete photos and videos taken in the ancient Kaifeng Bao Gong Temple after a phenomenon known as “crying at the temple” resulted in its temporary closure.
On Qingming Festival, April 5th, Wei Yongliang from Handan, Hebei, recounted to a reporter, “I visited the Kaifeng Bao Gong Temple on that day and filmed a video of people crying on their knees. I was stopped by the scenic area staff and taken to the local police station to delete the photos and videos.”
This incident was preceded by a woman from Liaoning who visited the temple in March and knelt to cry over her own unjust case, which went viral on the internet and sparked a trend of people replicating the act, leading to the removal of the Bao Gong statue and the closure of the temple.
In late March, a woman from Guangzhou encountered harassment from local authorities as she planned to visit the temple in Zhaoqing, questioning police, “What business is it of yours if we go to Zhaoqing or Beijing? Are we breaking any laws? I am planning to go to the Zhaoqing Bao Gong Temple, cry, and share the video online. You are restricting the freedom of lawful citizens, which includes forcibly bringing me back from Changsha. This is unlawful enforcement.”
The woman from Guangzhou has been seeking justice for five years over a wrongful accusation involving a financial dispute. She sternly told the police, “In a society devoid of fairness and justice, no one is safe, and your interests will eventually be stripped away.”
Dialogue between the police and the woman ensued, with the police stating, “You can go to the temple to express your grievances, but you are not allowed to film and share it online. The internet is not above the law.” The woman retorted, “I can tell you, police officers are not above the law either… One day, we will settle accounts with you.”
Jiang Fuzhen, an editor at “China Spring” residing in the Netherlands and Secretary-General of the Democratic Party Overseas Committee, expressed to a reporter, “The phrase ‘Bao Longtu sits in the Bao Gong Mansion’ is a widely circulated saying. In the past, wrongful cases brought to the Kaifeng Prefecture were corrected, albeit with low probability. However, the recent crying at the Bao Gong Temple highlights the prevalence of unjust cases without recourse for redress. As a netizen said: If there is justice in the world, why kneel and cry to the heavens?”
“The ‘crying at the temple’ phenomenon sparked by this woman has made the authorities apprehensive. They fear it may become a covert means for petitioning, a form of self-relief pressing relevant departments to address issues. However, closing and removing the Bao Gong Temple is merely quelling the symptoms without resolving the core problems, emphasizing the biased and malicious nature of the ruling group.”
A lady from Fuzhou, speaking to a reporter, remarked, “In present-day China, it is no exaggeration to say that injustice abounds. Yet, some individuals retain a sense of justice and refuse to remain silent, opting to seek redress. However, once grievances reach a certain level, not only are issues left unresolved, but all sides apply pressure.”
“Currently, sentencing has become a common method to suppress persistent petitioners. Repeated sentencing of petitioners is no longer an isolated occurrence but a systemic cycle of malice where the oppressed have little hope. Seeking solace in the symbolic deity Bao Gong, the embodiment of justice in history, is an act of desperation and profound misery.”
“With the exposure on the internet, such occurrences have placed the government in an uncomfortable position. If left unchecked, these incidents may become hotspots for petitioners, instilling fear in the authorities,” she concluded.