Chinese Religion - The various beliefs of China
Religious beliefs in China have varied greatly since the beginning of China’s history. Chinese religion overall includes the spiritual world but does not include the concept of God. This could classify some of China’s religious beliefs as philosophy and not actually Chinese religion. Religious beliefs in China include Buddhism, Taoism, ancestral worship, and folk religions. Other religious beliefs that came from outside of the country include Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949 and actually had a bad attitude toward Chinese religion due in part to the Communist leaders of the country who were critical of Chinese religion and other religious beliefs. The attitude began to change in 1978 when the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China guaranteed the freedom of religious beliefs with several restrictions. There are five recognized religions by the country—Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholic Christianity, and Protestant Christianity. However, most people in China do not associate themselves with religious affiliation so it is hard to determine a percentage of believers for each Chinese religion.
Buddhism was introduced from Nepal during the Han dynasty and has been very popular among the people. Buddhism today has grown quite popular and has gained support from the government more than any Chinese religion. Estimates of the number of Buddhists in China range from 70 million to 150 million, from twenty to twenty-five percent of the population.
Taoism is the organized, native Chinese religion and is traditionally dated to 142 A.D. with the founding of the Way of the Celestial Masters by Zhang Daoling. Taoist religious belief builds on earlier concepts found in classic wisdom text known as the Way and Its Power or Dao De Jing. This work is attributed to Lao Zi, a mythological person who came to be venerated as a god. The philosophy of Taoism is centered on “the way.” Taoism is also considered the folk Chinese religion.
Islam was introduced into China in the seventh century. It is now practiced by an estimated three percent to five percent of the people. Islam in China, particularly in the western, minority-dominated regions, can be connected with non-China nationalism and even separatist movements.
Some people believe that Christianity was first introduced in China in 635AD. However, the first missionary to reach the mainland and begin teaching was in the late 1500s. During the 1800s, Christianity spread rapidly through China thanks to western missionaries, especially Hudson Taylor. Since lessening restrictions on religious beliefs after the 1970s, Christianity has grown significantly within China, although it is still tightly controlled by the government. Estimates of Christians in China are difficult to obtain because of the numbers of Christians unwilling to reveal their beliefs, the hostility of the national government towards some Christian sects, and difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics on house churches. However, some analysts have estimated the number of adherents to be anywhere between one and seven percent of the population.
For more information about Chinese religion and the beliefs of its people, research online or at your local library.