Chinese Authorities Demolish More Than 5,900 Shrines Devoted to Folk Deity

[TomSea]

Chinese Authorities Demolish More Than 5,900 Shrines Devoted to Folk Deity
By Frank Fang, Epoch Times


A Chinese municipal government has decided to eradicate a form of traditional folk religion, in the name of improving the city’s “spiritual culture” and “air quality,” drawing ire from many Chinese netizens.

Chinese authorities in Gaoyou City in the coastal province of Jiangsu recently ordered the demolition of all shrines that worship the Chinese deity referred to as the Earth God, according to Chinese media. In total, 5,911 shrines were demolished during February and March, a task that took 26 days to complete.

The Earth God, known as Tudi Gong in Chinese, is one of the most important in the pantheon of Chinese folk deities. According to Chinese folklore, before becoming the Earth God, he was a man named Zhang Fude, a tax collection official during the Zhou Dynasty (510-314 B.C.).

Read more at: https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinese-authorities-demolish-over-5900-shrines-devoted-to-folk-deity_2883755.html