Yidong Officials Deny Cemetery Construction Plans

Regulations prohibit the planning and approval of cemetery construction on such land. Villagers report that an ecological source project has resulted in the unauthorized construction of a cemetery on farmland. A renovated columbarium is reportedly being built on land designated for ecological resources rather than modern agriculture. Liu Wanxu stated that the rectification process has been slow and the enterprise may be acting with a sense of luck. Local civil affairs departments stated that most enterprises must complete the conversion of facilities into formal columbaria by the end of July. Any facilities that fail to complete construction will be demolished in accordance with the Land Management Law and Funeral Management Regulations. Officials noted that some enterprises are attempting to evade regulations by conducting private sales. Villagers report that a cemetery has been constructed on land previously used for farming. In Yidong County, land records show plots were reclassified from basic farmland to general farmland in 2017, but data was not shared between natural resources and agricultural departments following a 2018 issuance. The Yidong government responded to reports regarding the Yangtze Ecological Park, stating that the park is not being planned as a full-scale cemetery. The government clarified that the approval and planning for the Ecological Park and the Lingyuan projects are separate. The Ecological Park project includes a 5,000 square meter construction area covering 26.7% of the land.