Hebei city top official removed following controversial shop sign ban
A sign of a Mixue Bingcheng store in Sanhe, north China's Hebei Province, was repainted green.
China has sacked the "top official" of the northern Sanhe City for a local government ban on shop signs using red, blue, or black backgrounds. The top official of a city mentioned in a government statement usually refers to its Party chief.
The issue gained widespread attention after an outlet of Mixue Bingcheng, a popular fresh ice cream and tea store chain, in Sanhe was forced to repaint its iconic red signboard to green, sparking outrage online. Reports indicated that multiple businesses, including a hospital with a red cross emblem, were required to alter their signage colors under the new regulations.
The Sanhe City Urban Management Bureau responded that signage background colors, excluding red, blue, and black, were permitted under the city's urban planning guidelines.
A red cross emblem of a hospital in Sanhe was reportedly painted over in green.
According to People's Daily, many merchants in Sanhe said they received signage rectification notices in March, with requirements extending beyond color to include specifications on signboard dimensions and lighting. Some storefront signs were reportedly removed by officials.
Several claimed they had only received oral notices without official documentation. Many store owners also expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding compensation for the mandatory changes.
Following media coverage, a viral video on April 10 showed the Mixue Bingcheng store had restored its original red signage.
The Langfang municipal government in Hebei, which oversees Sanhe, launched an investigation on April 11.
On Tuesday, authorities announced the dismissal of Sanhe's principal leader and ordered the city government to conduct a comprehensive review and implement rectifications.
Officials stated that further accountability measures would follow based on the investigation's findings. They also pledged to establish long-term mechanisms to prevent similar incidents, emphasizing "zero tolerance" for policies that harm public interests or disrupt the business environment while safeguarding the rights of businesses and residents.
