“The whole church thing is as inconceivable as a visitor from outer space and is largely a cultural invasion,” Guo said, demanding that authorities replace the church’s cross with a red star.

Guo declined an interview request from the Guardian.

A second article, published on the neo-Maoist website Utopia, called the project an “imperialist cultural invasion”.

Building a church in a public space was a violation of people’s freedom not to believe in God, wrote Qian Changming.

Qian lamented how authorities had allowed its construction but had last year ordered the demolition of a giant golden statue of Mao further north in Henan province.