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| Home » About China » Religion in China
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Religion in China |
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Different kinds of religion in China are prevalent from times unknown. The Chinese history is a proof of the fact that from time to time various religion in China came up. Some of the important religions prevalent in China include Taoism, Buddhism and many more. Other than this, there are Chinese folk religions, ancestor veneration and shamanism as well. There are some other minority faiths which include Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Islam, Christianity as well as Judaism.
Religion in China is divided in a different way and a brief description of them is given below:
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Worship of Heaven in China:
People of China believe in the worship of heaven. This includes erection of shrines and worshiping the various natural objects as well as weather. This has then been incorporated within the Chinese folk religions. Some of the important things worshiped here include the sun, moon, thunder and lightening, rain and many more forces of nature.
Worship of Ancestor:
Ancestor veneration or worship of the ancestors is an important form of religion in China before the advent of Confucianism or Taoism. In this form of religion in China, the Chinese not only remember and worship their ancestors but they also remember important figures from the Chinese history as well. There are two important festivals celebrated as a part of this ancestor veneration which includes Qingming Festival and Double Ninth Festival. Other than this, there are certain things which are celebrated for ancestor veneration which includes wading, funerals, triad initiations as well.
Taoism in China:
This is an indigenous form of religion in China. The philosophy of Taoism is based on an understanding of the universe. It is also an important part of the folk religion of China.
Buddhism in China:
Buddhism is not an indigenous religion of China. It came to China from South and Central Asia during the rule of the Han dynasty. It is one of the popular religions of China and the government is also giving importance to it.
Islam in China:
This is also not an indigenous religion of China and has come to China through the famous Silk Road. The various merchants and craftsmen are also responsible for spreading this religion in China. There are mosques as well as learning centers in China that teach Islam.
Christianity in China:
Christianity is one of the important religions of China. It came here with the traders who visited China during AD 635. But it received a jolt when the Ming Dynasty banned the religion in China. Still the government is not in favor of this religion so not many people directly confess their religion. But a general estimation shows that there are around 70 million Christians living in China.
Judaism in China:
Judaism came to China during the Tang dynasty. During this time, the Jews started settling in China. Today, there are a large number of Jews living in various parts of China.
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