Chinese village head who was also local feng shui master forced to quit

A village head in southwestern China, who also acted as the village feng shui master, has quit both jobs under pressure, a mainland media reports.

Zhang Yuzhong, head of the village of Qinghui in Huaide, Sichuan province, for 12 years, was renowned for his feng shui prowess long before he worked on the village committee, and villagers went to him when they needed rituals performed for relocations or funerals, West China Metropolis Daily reported.

Holding feng shui rituals was both a personal interest and a traditional village custom, Zhang said. He did not see it as a being in conflict with his position as the village head.

Zhang earned 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan (HK$4,650 - HK$5,800) per year as a feng shui master. “I have held fewer rituals these years since the volume of village affairs has increased,” he said.

However, Chen Dingping, the vice-town secretary of Huaide, said Zhang should not continue as the village head even though he had not broken the law. Chen said he hoped Zhang would resign and, if not, the villagers would vote to sack him, the report said.