Reporters from AFP witnessed on Friday (Jan 9) that the Yayang Church in Taishun County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, has been surrounded by scaffolding and its cross removed.
Local residents and rights groups reported that multiple members have been arrested as a national crackdown on unregistered Christian organizations intensifies.
Yayang church is part of a network of “house churches” that operate outside government-approved religious frameworks.
Rights groups like ChinaAid noted that the operation against the church began in mid-December 2025, with initially around 100 members detained. As of early January 2026, roughly two dozen remain in custody.
During a visit to Yayang, AFP saw wanted posters dated December 13 for two prominent church members, Lin Enzhao and Lin Enci, accusing them of being part of a “criminal gang” involved in “provoking trouble.” Lin Enzhao was previously imprisoned over a decade ago for opposing cross removals.
The situation in Wenzhou mirrors recent events in Chengdu, where the underground Early Rain Covenant Church reported that nine members, including current leader Li Yingqiang, were detained this week.
Human Rights Watch researcher Yalkun Uluyol stated that unofficial churches are increasingly seen as “disobedient” to the Communist Party’s ideology, leading to severe repercussions.
While much of Yayang appeared to function normally, the area around the church was heavily guarded by SWAT officers. Residents were warned that filming or photographing the scaffolding was strictly forbidden, with reports of a woman being “taken away” for doing so.
