On September 8th, a fierce conflict erupted in Chengtian Village, Bilian Town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province due to a water project. The local government colluded with the water company and under the guise of “installing tap water”, about 200 security personnel and special police officers were mobilized to enter the village for construction, attempting to seize the water source used by the villagers all year round. Villagers resisted and some were injured in the process.
One villager, using the pseudonym Li Jin, recounted the events to a reporter from Dajiyuan.
Around 8 am on the 9th, the deputy secretary of Bilian Town led dozens of security personnel into the village center, trying to cut off the villagers’ usage of a mountain spring water source. Upon hearing the news, villagers rushed over, leading to a dispute that escalated into physical conflict.
Li Jin revealed that the deputy secretary and villagers wrestled with each other, with one elderly person being choked and thrown to the ground by the deputy secretary. After the deputy secretary also fell to the ground and assumed a defensive posture, it angered the villagers. Another elderly woman was knocked down. Subsequently, an ambulance arrived at the scene and transported both the deputy secretary and villagers to the hospital.
Li Jin also mentioned that in the afternoon, an additional 200 special police officers were dispatched by the authorities, resulting in physical confrontations between villagers and the police. In the evening, police sealed off the village and construction proceeded forcefully.
Another villager, using the pseudonym Wu Yan, stated that among the injured elderly individuals, one was refused admission at the town hospital and was sent to a city hospital. Additionally, another villager was injured during the conflict but faced delays in treatment due to escorting a child, and their condition remains uncertain.
Following the incident, villagers were threatened by the police not to upload videos onto the internet. Both Wu Yan and Li Jin received “courtesy” calls from the police, instructing them to delete the videos.
Chengtian Village residents have been using mountain spring water for drinking throughout the year. Villagers previously raised funds to bring the spring water into each household, charging 0.5 yuan per ton of water to cover regular equipment maintenance. Li Jin expressed that the local spring water is of high quality, but now, with the forced connection of tap water by the water company, water fees for villagers are expected to increase to around 2.5 to 3 yuan per ton, or even higher. Villagers find this cost burdensome, especially considering their already difficult living conditions. Moreover, villagers are concerned that the quality of tap water may involve additives, potentially affecting its cleanliness compared to spring water.
Wu Yan stated that another reason for villagers resisting the construction is the failure of the local government to host a town hall meeting to obtain villagers’ consent, prompting collective opposition.
Wu Yan further disclosed that the conflict is not an isolated incident but rather a continuation of years of water resource disputes. Several years ago, Bilian Town government planned to construct a tap water plant, seizing villagers’ farmland and obstructing the main road leading to town, forcing villagers to travel inconveniently and sparking strong discontent among them. Despite protests at the time yielding no results, after the water plant was completed, the government, between 2023 and 2024, attempted to take control of the village’s water source for the first time, aiming to integrate the spring water into the plant for unified management. However, facing opposition from all villagers, the project was suspended.
Nevertheless, in August 2025, without notifying the villagers, the government unlawfully installed water pipes leading to a river in the village, claiming it was for “septic tank pipelines”. Wu Yan explained that information leaked from a neighboring village, leading the villagers to discover the true nature of the water project. The local government’s intention was to cut off the various village mountain spring water sources, coercing villagers into using metered tap water. On September 8th, the town government illegally entered the village and proceeded with construction.
Wu Yan also revealed that what infuriated the villagers even more was that the Chengtian Village water source had been “sold” multiple times. Years ago, it was sold to a neighboring county, promising a subsidy of 500 yuan per household and free water, commitments that were never fulfilled. The second sale occurred without the villagers’ knowledge, resulting in no benefits for them. This recent incident marks the third time the water source was handed over, with direct pipe installation bypassing the villagers entirely.
Li Jin added, “Villagers question the government and water company forming a chain of interests, allowing the water plant to extract high-quality water sources at low cost (without the need for extensive purification), making profits through high fees and water sales (with annual earnings reaching millions), while also benefiting from government subsidies, a situation termed ‘double profits’.”
Li Jin believes that the local government is now using Chengtian Village as a gateway, as successful pipeline installation here will lead to monopolizing the entire water resources in other villages through similar means.
Upon calling the Bilian Town government, the receptionist abruptly hung up upon realizing it was a reporter.