A government decree has ruled that the Marian sanctuary, and the pilgrimages that have brought over 40,000 pilgrims there annually, are evidence of "illegal religious activity."
The Henan government plans to raze the sanctuary, bar pilgrimages to the site, and destroy the celebrated statue of Our Lady of Carmel that is revered by Catholics there. To discourage faithful Catholics from organizing sit-ins on the site to protect the shrine, authorities have scheduled military exercises in the area.
It's just another instance of how the Maoist government can do what it pleases with the Chinese people, while the retail-addled consumers in the West do nothing to help. The religious liberties of the Chinese people are secondary to cheap footwear for Americans.
Maybe if the Chinese rename the shrine "Our Lady of Low Prices"..