His persistence in this matter has reached a level that surprises me.
The teaching building is unfinished, and the news is also unfinished, but Lin Jiahong is still there, still speaking out, still ready to generously contribute... He is still the same person as before, the passionate, indignant, and hometown-repaying Lin Jiahong. How can such a person not be deeply respected?
Photo by Sandro Tedeschini from Pexel
By 呦呦鹿鸣Huang Zhijie
Even if we extend our observation period to one hundred years, the story of Lin Jiahong, a native of Lufeng, Guangdong, can be described as “unbelievable.”
He is diligent, kind, and tenacious, but also extremely unfortunate.
Lin Jiahong was born in 1988 in Hudidi Village, Shangying Town, Lufeng City, Shanwei City, Guangdong. Hudidi Village has over 3,000 people and is 5 kilometers away from the urban area of Lufeng.
After graduating from junior high school, Lin Jiahong went out to work. Around 2007, he started a building materials business and made some money, but not much.
In 2012, while drinking tea at a teahouse in his hometown, he heard the principal of Hudidi Primary School say that the school was too dilapidated and lacked even doors and windows. He felt very uncomfortable and subsequently donated a batch of doors and windows to the primary school, worth several thousand yuan.
Hudidi Primary School. Photo courtesy of Chen Xuhou (Pengpai News reporter)
In August 2013, as the new semester was about to begin, the principal of the town's central primary school, surnamed Huang, met with him and asked if he could donate to build a wall for Hudidi Primary School, which lacked one. So, he went to raise money to build the wall.
While preparing to build the wall, the then director of the Lufeng Education Bureau, surnamed Chen, met with him and said that the Education Bureau would build the wall itself and asked if he could donate to build a multimedia functional teaching building.
Lin Jiahong thought this was a great thing and decided to donate to build the teaching building. He hired someone to design the blueprints, found a construction team, and construction began in September.
At this time, Lin Jiahong was only 25 years old. He said that when he was young, his family was poor, and he spent all his time selling things at street stalls and didn't study well. Later, when he went out to work hard, he felt that it was better to study more, as a low level of education had too many limitations. So, he wanted to provide better learning conditions for the children in his hometown, “saving a little for himself to give future generations good conditions to study well.”
In January 2014, the local land department asked them to stop construction because it was “unapproved.” In March, the Lufeng Municipal Government issued a document, “Approval in Principle for Simplifying the Application Procedures for Construction Projects within School Campuses,” which stated that for construction projects within school campuses, the school only needed to provide land certificates and campus floor plans to apply for construction project permits.
“Approval in Principle for Simplifying the Application Procedures for Construction Projects within School Campuses.” Photo courtesy of Lin Jiahong
With the approval document, Lin Jiahong resumed construction. More than half a year later, the main structure of the teaching building was completed, costing about 800,000 yuan, all funded by Lin Jiahong alone. If the renovation were to be completed, it would cost about 1 million yuan.
The main structure of the teaching building donated and built by Lin Jiahong is completed, but not yet renovated. Photo courtesy of Chen Xuhou (Pengpai News reporter)
At this point, Lin Jiahong stopped construction. Why? Because an insider in the local education system told him that someone had applied for tens of thousands of yuan in funds in the name of this teaching building, but after the money was allocated, its whereabouts were unknown. “I donated money to build the teaching building, but someone applied for funds and embezzled them. I couldn't accept it, so I stopped construction.”
The first turning point appeared.
This suspicion was not unfounded. A reply from the Shanwei Municipal Education Bureau in December 2015 mentioned: “The Lufeng Municipal Education Bureau allocated 100,000 yuan in May 2014 for the construction of this educational building…” Specifically, see the first line of the second page of the document below:
The text about the allocation of 100,000 yuan is on the first line of the second page.
After that, Lin Jiahong continued to report this issue. A year later, he also posted the relevant situation online. It was precisely because of his continuous reporting that on January 18, 2018, he was criminally detained by the Lufeng Municipal Public Security Bureau and subsequently arrested.
This is the second turning point. In addition to his good intentions, Lin Jiahong showed straightforwardness and courage in pursuing the truth, but the incident took a bizarre turn.
In June 2018, the indictment from the Lufeng Municipal Procuratorate stated: “Starting from April 2015, Lin Jiahong repeatedly fabricated facts on different online platforms and spread remarks about Lin Moude embezzling public funds and poverty alleviation funds. He also fabricated facts and spread remarks about Lin Mou Shi, the deputy mayor of Lufeng Municipal Government, and Lin Mou Hao, the director of the Shangying Town Police Station, embezzling public funds. The views expressed in these posts had a readership of over 5,000, causing a negative social impact. In addition, in October 2017, during the “three cleanups and three demolitions” work in Hudidi Village, Lin Jiahong spread remarks that clearing illegal structures would result in compensation, and obstructed and insulted village cadres with some villagers, causing the “three cleanups and three demolitions” work to be unable to proceed normally.”
This procuratorate believed that he should be prosecuted fordefamation and picking quarrels and provoking trouble.
The case went to trial twice. In September 2019, the procuratorate issued a “Decision Not to Prosecute”: The circumstances were minor and the harm was not significant, and it was not considered a crime. It was decided not to prosecute Lin Jiahong.
However,at this time, Lin Jiahong had been detained for 600 days.
. After regaining his freedom, Lin Jiahong applied for state compensation, but the Lufeng Municipal Procuratorate decided: no compensation.
Lin Jiahong disagreed and applied to the higher-level Shanwei Municipal Procuratorate for reconsideration. In May 2020, the Shanwei Municipal Procuratorate decided: the Lufeng Municipal Procuratorate should pay Lin Jiahong 208,050 yuan for compensation for infringement of personal freedom and 20,000 yuan for compensation for mental distress.
Lin Jiahong still disagreed and filed a compensation claim with the court, requesting a total of over 870,000 yuan for compensation for infringement of personal freedom, mental distress, lost wages, etc.
How much are Lin Jiahong's 600 days worth?Different people have different opinions, but I think 870,000 yuan is definitely not excessive.
Of course, the most important thing is that freedom is priceless.
In August 2020, the “Decision on State Compensation” made by the Shanwei Intermediate Court increased the compensation for mental distress from the original 20,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan. An additional 10,000 yuan. Thus, the total compensation was 238,000 yuan.
Regarding the economic losses such as attorney fees, transportation costs, and lost wages proposed by Lin Jiahong, the court stated that they were not accepted.
From arrest to 600 days of detention, and then to regaining freedom; from no compensation to compensation, and then to an additional 10,000 yuan.
In the third turning point of this story, there are various numbers that are regrettable.
Most importantly, the teaching building has remained in a state of unfinished construction.
Four years after the last judicial ruling, in July 2024, Pengpai News reporter Chen Xuhou noticed it and wrote the report “Ten Years of Unfinished Village Primary School Teaching Building Donated by a 25-Year-Old Youth.”
The reporter saw on site that trees had already grown inside the unfinished school building, with trunks exceeding 10 centimeters in diameter, considered large trees. Outside, the sign “Construction Site, Keep Out” was still hanging. Facing the visiting reporter, local villagers, village officials, and school teachers all sighed: “What a waste.”
Large trees have grown inside the school building. Photo courtesy of Chen Xuhou (Pengpai News reporter)
At this time, more than a hundred students at Wudi Primary School are still using the old school building adjacent to the unfinished new one. “Ten years to grow a tree” is a fact, and a glaring metaphor.
This report had a slight impact on the local education system. A follow-up report a week after the publication stated: Wu, director of the Lufeng Municipal Education Bureau, and Wu, party secretary of Shangying Town, had communicated with Lin Jiahong, expressing their intention to commission a third-party agency to conduct structural safety testing and appraisal of the aforementioned school building, and that relevant procedures were underway; the re-approval and reconstruction of the school building, etc.,are estimated to take three months.
At this point, Lin Jiahong publicly stated: He hoped to fund the repair of the school building himself and donate it to the school for use free of charge. He estimated an additional investment of 600,000 yuan.
This is the fourth turn of events. Few would have expected Lin Jiahong to reconnect and continue donating after experiencing imprisonment.
However, the impact of this report was truly only this much. And then nothing happened.
In September 2026, Lin Jiahong again reported to a Pengpai News reporter: the school building had still not been repaired, and after media coverage,it had been left unfinished for another two yearsHe has always been willing to continue funding, but is hindered by “lack of relevant procedures” and “poor communication channels with the local education bureau.”
In other words,after the unfinished building, there is now an unfinished news story.
On September 22, 2026, the Lufeng Municipal Education Bureau replied to Lin Jiahong, who had filed a complaint, via the 12345 hotline: “Our bureau will urge and assist the school to actively apply to the relevant competent authorities for the follow-up project approval procedures, coordinate and do a good job of inspections by relevant departments, and provide necessary support and guarantees for the smooth construction of the project…”
However, during the same period, when a Pengpai News reporter inquired about this matter with the Education Bureau, they did not receive a positive response. The reporter contacted the director of the Education Bureau, who said he was attending training and arranged for a staff member to connect with the reporter, but this staff member’s phone was never answered, and text messages were not replied to.
Currently, Lin Jiahong still states that he is willing to fund the repair of this school building so that it can be delivered to the school for use as soon as possible.
This is why I specifically want to write an article here today to echo Lin Jiahong.His persistence in this matter has reached a level that surprises me.
If it were someone else, after kindly donating to build a school, being detained for 600 days for seeking the truth, and luckily regaining freedom, the most likely and rational choice would be to cut losses and stay away from the matter. How could they donate hundreds of thousands more? How could they continue to pursue it relentlessly?
Ten years have passed, and then another two years. Lin Jiahong has gone from 25 to 38 years old. As he approaches middle age, how many more “600 days” can he afford to lose?
The school building is unfinished, the news story is unfinished, but Lin Jiahong is still there, still speaking out, still ready to generously contribute… He is still the same person he was, the passionate, indignant, and community-giving Lin Jiahong. How can such a person not inspire awe?
I have followed many unfinished news stories, with countless poignant tales, but Lin Jiahong’s unfinished news story particularly pains me: good intentions should not be betrayed, new school buildings should not be abandoned, good people should not be threatened, especially,this kind and brave youth/middle-aged man, who is also so resilient.
This news story should not have been left unfinished. With this article, I pay tribute to Lin Jiahong and echo his fightto end the unfinished school building and unfinished news story.
May good people truly be rewarded.
呦呦鹿鸣20261006
