Christians in Xintan village in China’s Zhejiang province had their public Christmas celebration broken up by local police before it even began this week. After setting up a stage, banners and sound system in the village square, organizers were told by police and Communist officials to cancel their event, which was previously approved by the local government. But higher-ups in the government overruled the approval, saying regulations prohibit worshipping outdoors and that Buddhists had complained about the event. When police showed up to close down the affair, small fights broke out, equipment was wrecked and several people were reported injured.

 

The nearby city of Ruian is a center of the manufacture of Christmas ornaments and toys, and Xintan promotes itself as “Christmas Village.”

 

Although Chinese authorities are not supportive of Christmas celebrations in their own country, they have not hesitated to profit from the holiday’s popularity in other countries—90% of all the world’s plastic Christmas trees are made in China and 70% of Chinese plastic trees are sold to the United States. In addition, 89% of the toys for sale in the U.S. are made in China.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

 

A Very Silent Night: Chinese Officials Shut Down Outdoor Christmas Party in Toy-Making Town (Associated Press)

This Video Shows What Happens When You Try to Celebrate Christmas in a Religious Way in China (by Andrew Shen, Business Insider) (video begins at 1:19 mark)

Factories Reliant on Holiday Buying Seek to Cope with Declining Demand (by Alexis Hooi and Qiu Quanlin, China Daily)