(Bitter Winter) In July, the government of Lanling county’s Dazhongcun town, administered by the prefecture-level city of Linyi in Shandong Province’s, toppled crosses from numerous state-approved Three-Self Church venues. On the 25th of the month, four places of worship lost their symbols. The town government hired a large crane and several workers to do the job. Other religious symbols and slogans were also eliminated from the buildings.
Amid the demolition, one of the town officials told onlookers that “crosses must be removed from all churches because Christianity does not belong in China.”