Christmas Banned in a Chinese Town

The grinch has arrived in Langfang, Hebei province in northern China

The local government in Langfang, a Chinese town in Hebei province, is the Christmas grinch this year.

Officials have ordered the removal of all festive decorations and banned shops from holding sales to "maintain stability".

The statement from the city management office of Langfang also appealed to the public to report anyone "spreading religion" in parks and squares, though it didn't specify which religion.

All Christmas decorations are banned from the city

Christmas isn't a recognized holiday in China, though for many particularly young people it's an excuse to hang out with friends at restaurants and bars, or buying gifts.

Langfang isn't the first place to ban Christmas -- in December last year, members of the Communist Party's Youth League at the University of South China in Hunan province were asked to sign a code of conduct that they would not participate in Christmas-related celebrations.

In the case of Langfang, local officials said anyone caught selling Christmas trees, wreaths, stockings or Santa Claus figurines in the city would be published, while shops are prohibited from holding Christmas performances or promotional sales.

This ban comes after the government has been cracking down on people practicing Christianity. On Saturday morning, more than 60 police officers and officials stormed a children's Bible class in Guangzhou.

Langfang may be trying to please Beijing through the ban

The authorities also shut down the 1,500-member Zion Church in Beijing in September, and Chengdu's 500-member Early Rain Covenant Church last week. In the latter case, about 100 worshippers were snatched from their homes or from the streets in coordinated raids.

Amnesty International China researcher Patrick Poon the recent raids on churches reflected the government's attitude towards Christianity, and the move by Langfang officials in Hebei may have been intended to impress Beijing.

"The authorities in Langfang might want to show how much they are ready to please the central government by banning Christmas decorations and sales.

"However, it also shows their ignorance about what Christmas really means for Christians, which is not about shopping or party celebrations, but it's the time to manifest their faith."

It's also interesting to keep in mind China manufactured and exported 60 percent of the world's artificial Christmas trees in 2017, according to Xinhua.

Why isn't that banned?