Religion in China Essay Example

to each respectively.They account for between18-20% of population each.These religions are permitted by the government across China.It is worth mentioning that nearly 4% of religious followers belong to non-Han ethnic groups practicing their indigenous tribal beliefs.Surveys reveal that around approximately 4-5% are Christians while Muslims constitute about1-2%.Despite this, a majority of between 60% and 70% primarily identify as agnostic or atheist. Both locally and internationally originated new religious movements are present across China. Confucianism significantly influences intellectuals. China is proud of its numerous towering statues, including the one recognized as the tallest in the world. These statues, predominantly depicting buddhas, deities, and religious icons, were mainly erected in the 2000s. The Spring Temple Buddha in Henan is universally acknowledged as the tallest statue. Recently, China also constructed the world's highest pagoda and stupa.

Ancient tribal traditions and animistic beliefs prevalent before Chinese civilization and international religions came to modern East Asia include interactions with spiritual beings through group or individual prayers conducted by shamans acting as intermediaries. Fundamental aspects of animism influenced distinct native religious practices introduced by Chinese civilization along with folk religions and shamanism.

Taoism is viewed as a traditional Chinese religion alongside Confucianism and other local beliefs; it has an enormous following - approximately 400 million adherents are based solely in China.[41]

Shamanic religions, despite having the most extensive documented history in China, are frequently disregarded in historical documents and literary works. Nonetheless, many ethnic communities such as the Han Chinese continue to uphold these faiths. The founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949 signalled a significant change with atheism becoming state-sanctioned. Religion was associated with feudalism and overseas

colonial rule, leading to a strict separation being upheld between government bodies and religious entities.

The Cultural Revolution in 1966 and 1967 caused a significant change in the approach towards religious practices, implementing measures aimed at eliminating these activities. Consequently, many places of worship were destroyed [49]. However, after the termination of the Cultural Revolution in the late 1970s, there was a considerable easing of these policies with an enhanced tolerance for religious expression beginning in the 1980s. Notably, "freedom of religion" is guaranteed by Article 36 of China's Constitution established in 1978.

China's policy on religious practices does not allow any form of coercion or discrimination based on belief systems, affirming that its citizens can freely choose to believe in any religion or none at all. It safeguards regular religious activities while forbidding the misuse of religion to disrupt societal peace, harm public health, or interfere with the national education system. There has been a significant emphasis recently on rejuvenating Buddhist and Taoist temples, as these religions are viewed by the government as an essential part of Chinese culture. The five religions acknowledged officially by the state include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism; however, their institutions are under some level of governmental control. Although recognizing the role played by religion in people's lives, certain new-fangled religious movements are proscribed by China's administration. Scholars have studied how the flexible and polytheistic society based on Chinese folk religion paved way for dynamic grassroots capitalism during Song Dynasty China and contemporary capitalism in Taiwan today. Additionally, considerable research has gone into studying the resurgence of Chinese folk religion - particularly its ritual economy/temple economy - which

plays a key role in Mainland China's rural economic growth today. Demographically speaking, Buddhists in China can be found evenly distributed across the nation.

Southern provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian have seen a significant resurgence of ethnic Han Shenism, combined with Zhengyi "Southern" Taoist practices. The Chinese folk religion can also be observed in central and northeastern provinces, although these regions are mostly secularized. Buddhism and Quanzhen "Northern" Taoist practices are also prevalent in the northern areas. Sichuan is a stronghold of Taoism, as it encompasses the region where Tianshi Taoism was born and the Celestial Masters established their central headquarters.

Primarily, Christians are found in eastern provinces and coastal regions, including Zhejiang, Anhui, and the Wu-speaking zone - areas greatly impacted by the Taiping movement. They also inhabit Henan and Hebei provinces. In contrast, Tibetan Buddhism is prevalent among Tibet's large population residing in western provinces and other similar areas. Additionally, Inner Mongolia to the north sees a growing influence of Tibetan Buddhism amongst its Han ethnic group. Predominantly populated by Hui ethnic groups such as Ningxia and Uyghur-inhabited Xinjiang province practice Islam as their religion. Various non-Han minority ethnic groups follow their traditional religious beliefs like Dongbaism. Confucianism enjoys popularity amongst intellectuals who consider it a religion while Communist regimes often curb religious freedom and advocate atheism.

In spite of its historical conflict, the Chinese government has lately exhibited a more accepting attitude towards religion, especially traditional ones such as Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Shenism. The significance of religion in forming a balanced society is recognized by the authorities in China. It is estimated that over 100 million individuals in China

adhere to different faiths. Further estimates suggest that approximately 8% of the population or around 100 million people associate themselves with specific religions like Taoism (no data available), Islam (19 million or 1.9%) and Christianity (14 million or 1%; including roughly 4 million Roman Catholics and about 10 million Protestants). While atheism is believed to be embraced by around 10% to 14% of citizens, this data may not be entirely accurate. A survey conducted by Shanghai University disclosed that nearly one-third or specifically, around 31.4%, of people aged sixteen years and older - equating to almost three hundred million individuals - identify themselves as followers of some religion. As per this study, major religions in China include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity which represent exactly two-thirds or 67.4%, of all believers.

In China, approximately 200 million people, equivalent to about 66.1% of all those who practice a religion, adhere to Buddhism, Taoism or the veneration of mythical beings like the Dragon King and God of Fortune. In contrast, Christianity has accumulated around 12% followers equaling nearly 40 million individuals. As per information from a research study reported in China Daily - reputed as the nation's leading extensive inquiry into religious beliefs conducted by Shanghai-based scholars - these facts were gathered. Although the Chinese government has acknowledged these updated figures, it also emphasized that assessing religious perspectives accurately within a population exceeding one billion is complex due to limited reliable data.

Various studies suggest that Buddhists constitute around 18% to 20%, equivalent to approximately 300 million of China's total population [2][3][4]. Additionally, Shenism and Taoism have a combined following of about 300 to 400

million people, representing roughly 20% to 30% of the entire population [20][72]. It's worth noting that these percentages may overlap since many Chinese individuals identify with both Buddhism and Shenist-Taoism. Christianity is observed by a minority ranging from 40 million (3%) to 54 million (4%) [26][27], while Islam has an estimated follower count between twenty and thirty million, equating to about1%-2%[25] . Other religious affiliations include traditional tribal religions practiced by non-Han ethnic communities such as Moz, White Stone Religion, Dongbaism and Bon. Judaism and Hinduism also exist alongside emerging religions like Xiantiandao and Falun Gong. Based on surveys conducted by Phil Zuckerman at Adherents.com in1993 , nearly59%(over700million)oftheChinesepeople professed no religion whilst around8%-14%(over100-180million) declared themselves atheists by2005 [34][35]. Determining religious demographics anywhere including China poses significant logistical difficulties.

Phil Zuckerman elaborates on the obstacles of accurately tallying religious adherents in a specific area, attributing it to issues such as low response rates, bias in sampling methods, and unfavorable political or cultural climates. These challenges are especially relevant to China for two primary reasons. First off, there's an ongoing discussion about whether certain belief systems widespread in China can be classified as "religions". For example, Confucianism has been progressively acknowledged for its religious aspects like rituals and the pursuit of moral order. Many Chinese beliefs contain elements of sanctity and spirituality linked with nature but do not necessarily focus on a personal deity. A 2010 study by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences revealed that approximately 23.05 million people or 1.8% of China's population identified as Protestants. Sociologist Fenggang Yang from Purdue's Center on Religion and Chinese Society found in another study that Buddhists made

up 18%, non-religious were at 15%, while Christians represented 3.2%. This data aligns tightly with findings from a Pew Forum survey done in 2008.[29] The cultural landscape of China is heavily influenced by Confucian philosophy which prioritizes ethical, social and moral values; this often deters religious tendencies among Chinese individuals.

As per the Confucian philosophy, every culture is encouraged to uphold its unique ethnic belief system, which often highlights respect for nature and forefathers. This is evidenced in how the Chinese community engages in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. These faiths chiefly concentrate on honoring ancestral deities and are predominantly observed in China.

The teachings of Confucius, captured in the Analects from the 5th century BCE and collectively known as Confucianism, were embraced by the Han Dynasty as their official state culture. Meanwhile, Taoism was established as their religion. This socio-political structure persisted until 1912 when it was discarded by both the succeeding Republic of China and later on, by the People's Republic of China. However, a distinct resurgence of Confucianism has been observed in China since the 2000s, backed by its central government.

Globally, Confucian education institutes are being established by the People's Republic of China, primarily headquartered in Beijing. As of 2010 data, there were around 300 such establishments. A notable rise is seen in the number of Chinese intellectuals embracing Confucianism, which is influenced by a growth in cultural conservatism and nationalism. In both Chinese folk religion and Confucianism, ancestor worship plays a crucial role as it embodies respect and dedication to departed ancestors. This type of homage can also be paid to renowned individuals from mythology or history like Huangdi,

known as the Yellow Emperor.

The Qingming Festival and the Double Ninth Festival are the two main festivals that involve ancestor veneration. However, ancestor worship is also carried out in various other ceremonies, such as weddings, funerals, and triad initiations. During these rituals, worshippers usually offer prayers through the Jingxiang rite, which includes offerings of food, incense, candles, and joss paper. These ceremonies typically take place at ancestral graves or tombs, ancestral temples, or household shrines. Noteworthy religious locations include a local deity temple in Zhangzhou, Fujian and an altar dedicated to Guandi at the Temple of Guandi in Jinan, Shandong.

Altar inside a Tudi Gong temple in Quanzhou, Fujian. Statues inside the temple of a Taizu deity (deified important ancestor) in Maoming, Guangdong. Chinese ethnic religion, also known as Chinese folk religion (simplified Chinese: ?????? or ?????? , pinyin: Zhongguo minjian zongjiao or Zhongguo minjian xinyang) or Shenism (Shenjiao, ?? ), refers to the collection of ethnic religious traditions that have been the predominant belief system among Han Chinese ethnic groups in China throughout its history up to the present day.

Shenism is a belief system that encompasses Chinese mythology and involves the worship of shens, which are deities, spirits, awarenesses, consciousnesses, archetypes. These shens can include nature deities, clan deities, city deities, national deities, cultural heroes and demigods, dragons, and ancestors. Some consider Shenism to be a form of Taoism known as Folk Taoism. This is because over time, institutional Taoism has sought to incorporate or manage local religions. In truth, Taoism can be viewed as a branch of Shenism since it originated from folk religion and Chinese philosophy.

Chinese

folk religion is often seen as a part of, or even synonymous with traditional Chinese faith. It embraces elements from Confucianism such as reverence for Confucius and his disciples, Tian worship, rituals, and sacrifices, which are heavily integrated with Shenism. With approximately 400 million followers worldwide, it constitutes about 6% of the global population. Moreover, over 30% of China's population follows Shenism or Taoism. Despite past repression from events like the Taiping Movement and Cultural Revolution over two centuries ago, there has been a resurgence in Chinese folk religion recently. The government of the People's Republic of China actively supports various forms including Mazuism in southern China along with other types such as Huangdi worship, Black Dragon worship in Shaanxi province, and veneration of Caishen. Scholars note that due to its adaptability and polytheistic features, Chinese folk religion laid the foundation for the development of grassroots pre-modern capitalism during China's Song Dynasty period and contemporary capitalism in Taiwan. Additionally, it significantly contributes to rural Mainland China’s economic growth through its ritual economy system.
Confucian temples can often be found housing prayer plaques.
Confucianism is frequently described as the "Religion of the Scholars" or "Religion of Confucius." This development mainly involves Chinese intellectuals and is relatively recent yet minor.
In spite of being small, it has achieved considerable progress within the realm of Chinese academia. For over a century, there's been ongoing discussions about whether Confucianism should be categorized as a religion. Key spiritual aspects promoted by Confucianism include the establishment of temples for ancestor worship, consciousness and reverence for Tian (heaven), along with ritualistic practices and sacrifices. Conversely, unlike Taoism, Confucianism does not have an official organizational structure

and its spiritual elements are inextricably linked to Chinese folk religion. The narrative has been changing since 2003 with more scholars and students adopting Confucianism which is turning into a powerful intellectual movement. This includes a significant group advocating for the transformation of Confucianism into an independent religion that is separate from Chinese folk religion in hopes of gaining recognition from the Chinese government; they even strive for it to be acknowledged as the state's official religion.Fenggang Yang,a scholar refers to this development as 'Confucian Fundamentalism.' In 2003,Kang Xiaoguang,a prominent figure in studying Confucian thought,published a manifesto promoting cultural nationalism coupled with four proposals: Integrating Confucian education at all stages of formal education; passing laws to declare confusiniasm as state's official religon;
Promoting standardization and development of doctrines, rituals, organizations, churches and places of activity to incorporate Confucian practices into everyday life; urging NGOs to aid in the spread of Confucianism. It seems these suggestions are gradually being implemented.

The Jiashen Manifesto, issued in 2004, ignited a call for the rebirth of traditional Chinese culture among scholars. The government reacted positively to this request and initiated efforts to revitalize typical Chinese religions, festivals, and celebrations. As part of this initiative, they founded the Center for Confucian Religion Research in 2005. This move caused academics who formerly criticized Confucianism as a religion to lose their influence [82]. Additionally, in 2005, schools across all levels began integrating Guoxue education into their programs. This approach was so well-received by the public that Confucian "televangelists" first appeared on television screens in 2006 [82]. Confucian Fundamentalists - ardent cultural nationalists and conservatives - assert the distinctiveness and superiority of Confucian

Chinese culture. This belief has prompted growing opposition against Western cultural impacts within China [82]. To honor these endeavors further, a statue of Confucius was revealed at Tiananmen Square in January 2011 [88][89] Taoism is another critical component of Chinese culture. Prominent Taoist temples encompass Mount Longhu Temple in Jiangxi; Xuanmiao Temple (Taoist) located in Suzhou, Jiangsu;The Changchun Temple in Wuhan, Hubei hosts a shrine devoted to Laozi, known as Daode Tianjun ("Lord of the Way and Virtue"), and the Three Pure Ones. More information about Taoism can be obtained from The Chinese Taoist Association.

Originating in the 6th century BCE China, Taoism or Daojiao as known locally, embodies a range of philosophies and religious customs. Its roots lie in the creation of Tao Te Ching, a text credited to Laozi, a sage highly esteemed by Taoists as Daode Tianjun among the Three Pure Ones. Central to Taoist beliefs are values like health, longevity, immortality, non-action (wu wei), and spontaneity. Over centuries these ideologies have deeply impacted East Asia and even garnered global recognition. Commonly practiced aspects of Taoism include respect for nature and ancestral spirits while formalized Taoism separates itself from folk religion that some expert practitioners (Daoshi) see as inferior. Historically intertwined with various facets of Chinese culture such as alchemy, astrology, gastronomy, martial arts, traditional medicine practices,fengshui,and qigong breath control disciplines.Taoism was officially recognized during the later Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220). In the period of Northern and Southern Dynasties (386–589), Neo-Taoism assimilated concepts from Buddhism.

Taoism enjoyed a significant period of flourishing, often termed as its silver age, between the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). During

this time, it received backing from ruling authorities for pragmatic reasons and admiration from intellectuals owing to its allure and influence. This period saw an increase in Taoist sects which subsequently led to more Taoist temples and masters throughout China. Post the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), Taoism divided into two primary schools: Quanzhen and Zhengyi Dao. [91] Even though continuous royal patronage aided in shaping Taoism's evolution, it suffered difficulties due to nationwide turbulence during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

During the Qing Dynasty period (1644-1911), Taoism was not favored by the Manchu rulers, who shifted their religious interest to Tibetan Buddhism.[91] After 1949, in the People's Republic of China, Taoism was seen as a hindrance to socialist reconstruction. However, certain practical aspects related to it such as traditional herbal medicine were permitted.[92] The Chinese Taoist Association was created in 1956 to monitor nationwide Taoist activities and has branches across all provinces and cities. The Cultural Revolution resulted in a ban on Taoism along with other religions but its revival is clear today.[93] Both Beijing and Shanghai chapters of the Chinese Taoist Association claim over 100 million members each.[94] Shenism, which incorporates elements from Taosim, is considered China's primary religion; about 20-30% of its population follows Shenist ethnic gods or associates with Taoist organizations.[19][21] In April 2007, a global forum focused on Daodejing received support for acknowledging Taoism as an essential part of Chinese culture from government officials and celebrities[95]. Clergy from Chinese Taosim are actively establishing missionary systems to disseminate spirituality worldwide[93][96]. Moreover, Buddhism also plays a significant role in China.Prominent Buddhist landmarks encompass the Shang Liu Temple in Changsha, Hunan province, and the Golden Temple perched

on Emei Shan in Sichuan. Other noteworthy sites include Emei Shan - recognized as one of China's Four Sacred Mountains for Buddhists, Shanghai's entrance to Donglin Temple, and the altar at Litang Monastery in Tibet. These venues hold significant value to Chinese Buddhism. Also known as "Fojiao," Buddhism was introduced to China from India during the Han Dynasty in the 1st century. It became widespread among individuals from various backgrounds and garnered backing from several emperors across different dynasties. By the 9th century, Buddhist establishments had surpassed Taoist ones in influence and even began posing a threat to state authority. This led to an event commonly identified as The Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution instigated by government functionaries; nevertheless, despite this obstacle, Buddhism managed to flourish in subsequent years.

Buddhism experienced significant growth during several periods in Chinese history, such as the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, and Song Dynasty. Nowadays, Buddhism is deeply rooted in Chinese philosophical thought, popular culture and overall perspective of life. Its assimilation into China involved a merging with Taoism that resulted in Buddhist scriptures being translated using Taoist vocabulary. Chan Buddhism was distinctly influenced by Taoism; it embraced a questioning approach towards religious texts and language while adhering to Taoist principles of valuing the current life through dedicated practice and mindfulness. During the Tang period, certain aspects of Buddhism like monastic living, vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol intake, the notion of voidness and categorizing scriptures into three sections were integrated into Taoism. Concurrently, Chan Buddhism rose to prominence as the dominant sect within Chinese Buddhism. However, this new faith wasn't universally adopted across all social upper classes.