Man In China Visits Ancestors’ Gravesite For Qing Ming, Finds Out It’s Now A Sugarcane Field

A man from Guangxi, China, recently made a trip to his ancestors' burial site during Qing Ming festival when he made a shocking and upsetting discovery. 

Upon his arrival, the man, only known by his surname Soo, realised the entire plot of land was no longer a gravesite. In its place was a sugarcane plantation. 

A bulldozer, farmers, and their equipment, now occupy the land. 

Stunned by the sight, Soo spoke to one of the farmers in hopes of getting an explanation as to what had happened to the four graves of his ancestors. 

He was then told by the farmer that the village cadre — unofficial leaders of a village who hold decision-making authority — had contracted the plot of land to the farmers. 

However, Soo is still the rightful owner of the land. He was granted the grounds by local government to use as a family cemetery, and the village cadre had made the decision to lease the land without his permission. 

Soo, who was not made privy to the arrangement at all, could no longer identify the location of his ancestors' graves. The land had been completely destroyed, and even if he managed to eventually find the graves, he would have trouble telling who they belonged to. 

At present, Soo is looking to negotiate the matter with the village cadre, and has said he will report the matter to the police if they do not reach a favourable outcome. 

His situation has since gained attention on social media, with netizens agreeing the village cadre were being disrespectful, and are in the wrong for renting out the land without seeking Soo's approval. 

While some others also believed it is unethical to move Soo's ancestral graves without him present, others opined that the land "ultimately belongs to the country". They also added it is that better people move their ancestors' remains to public cemeteries as burning offerings on unmanned land can spark wildfires. 

How will the village cadre get themselves out of this sticky situation?

Photos: 有梗少女阿意/ Weibo