A Confucian scholar recently called for a ban on churches in Qufu, the ancient Chinese philosopher’s hometown, in a bid to save local culture.
Zeng Zhenyu published an article on Jan. 21 on rujiazg.com, a website on Confucian studies, condemning Qufu and Jining's local governments, which administrate Qufu, East China's Shandong Province, for "secretly" constructing a Protestant church 3 km to the southeast of the Confucius Temple, the Global Times reported. The scholar added pictures in his article that he claimed were of the secret church.
Zeng, who is also a political adviser, claims that in 2012 a deputy mayor of Jining informed him that the administration would not build new churches in Qufu.
Scholars signed an online open letter in 2010, whereby they revealed their opposition to plans for a Gothic-style Protestant church in Qufu, stating that the project would spur religious and cultural conflicts, after a report from the media that there had been a foundational ceremony for a church 3 km from the Confucius Temple.
Authorities planned to build the Holy Trinity Church in Yuzhuang Village in Qufu. The church would accommodate 3,000 members and have a height of 41.7 meters. According to the Xinhua News Agency, an exchange center for Christianity and Confucianism would also be constructed.
Zeng cited anonymous local residents saying that the church had actually been in existence for three years already as a single-storey building, and it will be expanded after the Spring Festival in February.
An unnamed official at the Jining religious department responded saying that he has no knowledge of the new church.
Meanwhile, Yang Chunmei, a professor at Qufu Normal University, said in an article published on Jan. 26 on the news portal thepaper.cn that the stills posted by Zeng were not for a church "secretly built" after 2012, but a provisional church that has existed for a decade.
Zeng pointed out that discussions are underway with local administrators to resolve the issue, and therefore rejected an interview with the Global Times.