China demolished Yazhong Protestant Church: a new round of religious repression in "Chinese Jerusalem"

In the Chinese city of Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), which is called the “Chinese Jerusalem” because of its high concentration of believers, the authorities completely demolished the building of the famous Protestant church of Yazhong (Yayan). The demolition of the shrine came amid a new severe round of repression against religious freedoms in the PRC, affecting dozens of community members and movement leaders.

According to Slovoproslovo.info with reference to the human rights organization ChinaAid, the destruction of the majestic multi-story temple began on Monday, May 18, and by the morning of May 19, 2026, the building had been turned into a pile of construction debris. Notably, the action came just days after the conclusion of a summit in Beijing, where U.S. President Donald Trump raised with Chinese leader Xi Jinping the issues of the release of pastors and respect for the rights of believers.

At the same time as the destruction of the building, security forces arrested four members of the congregation. A total of 22 believers of this church, including leaders Lin Enzhao and Lin Enqi, have been behind bars in recent months. They face the standard Chinese regime charge of “provoking quarrels and causing trouble,” which Beijing routinely uses to stifle any civil or religious dissent.

The conflict between the unregistered Yazhong community and the Communist Party of China has lasted more than a year. In June 2025, worshippers refused to comply with the authorities’ demand to install a state flag inside the prayer hall, deeming it an infringement on the sanctity of the faith. This was followed by storming the prayer houses in December 2025 and taking forceful control of the building. Before the final demolition in May 2026, the area was blocked off within a kilometer radius, and law enforcers created a total information vacuum, confiscating cell phones from passersby and prohibiting any photography or videotaping.

Experts note that only those religious organizations that are part of the state-controlled “Patriotic Movement of the Three Selfs” are officially allowed in the PRC. ChinaAid President Bob Fu expressed deep sorrow over the incident, emphasizing that the destruction of a physical temple does not mean the destruction of faith. He called on the world community to pay attention to the open confrontation between believers and the state machinery of tyranny in China.