A project in Jilin province, initially promoted to villagers as a sprawling ecological tourism park, has instead become a luxury cemetery featuring extravagant, residential-style tombs sold for millions of yuan, sparking outrage and allegations of illegal land use.
What was supposed to be a scenic eco-park in Yitong Manchu Autonomous County has morphed into the Chang Gung Ecological Park, a high-end cemetery that now stands in stark contrast to the promises made to the local community.
Villagers from a neighboring settlement report that when their land was acquired nearly eight years ago, the developer promised an ecological project featuring a quarry garden, fruit picking, fishing, and farm-to-table experiences. Today, only a cemetery is visible.
The cemetery offers various burial plots, with prices for traditional tombstones ranging from approximately 27,800 to over 90,000 yuan.
However, the most striking features of the park are the 35 "ancestral hall" tombs.
These exclusive, two-story structures resemble traditional Chinese residences, complete with ornate gates, golden door knockers, and decorative stone drums. Each of these lavish tombs, measuring over 30 square meters, was marketed for around 2 million yuan before sales were halted.
This development directly contravenes both national and provincial regulations. Jilin Province explicitly limits the size of a single or double burial plot for ashes to one square meter and plots for bodies to four and six square meters, respectively.
Furthermore, national laws mandate that cemeteries should be built on barren land, strictly prohibiting the use of arable land.
Local villagers have provided evidence, including land-ownership certificates, showing that the cemetery was built on what was designated as their farmland and forest land.
Despite this, the Yitong County Bureau of Natural Resources has stated that while the land was previously farmland, it has since been rezoned for funeral and other commercial uses.
According to public records, the project, operated by Jilin Chang Gung Ecological Park, was initially registered in 2018 as a predominantly agricultural and tourism venture.
However, villagers insist that none of the promised ecological or cultural tourism elements have materialized. When questioned, park staff referred to the agricultural areas as "pending development" and vaguely suggested they might be used for either more tombs or landscaping in the future.
The controversy has not gone unnoticed, with one source revealing the project had already been flagged as a key target for rectification by the civil affairs system in 2024.
In response to the public outcry, the local civil affairs bureau has now prohibited the sale of the oversized tombs and ordered them to be converted into standard columbarium facilities.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱↓
