What Is China's Religion?

China is a country with one of the world's oldest civilizations. It has the largest population globally and is also one of the two most populous countries in East Asia. It is considered to be an emerging power because it has been experiencing rapid economic growth since 1978.

China was founded on communism, but after Mao Zedong's death in 1976, China began moving away from communism into socialism under Deng Xiaoping. The Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of religion for its citizens. The word "religion" can be used to describe a set of beliefs, values, or practices that people commonly associate with the concept.

Do Chinese Believe in God?

China is recognized as an atheist state, but most of its citizens practice different forms of religion. Chinese religion is a complex mixture of traditional beliefs and practices from different regions, developed throughout history.

Today, around 83% to 92% of China's population are atheists. Around six percent of Chinese follow traditional religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and animistic folk traditions. As time goes by, many citizens have started to believe in God thanks to the freedom of religion.

What is China's Religion?

There are five main religions allowed in China:
•    Buddhism
•    Taoism
•    Islam
•    Catholicism
•    Protestant

The most popular of these is Christianity, with over 67 million followers in China today. The second largest is Taoism, with about 20 million.

The government tries to control religious practice through the state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and requires all places of worship to register with the government.

The Chinese practice folk religion, which includes beliefs in local deities and ancestor veneration. Today over 100 million people identify themselves as practitioners of traditional belief systems such as Confucianism, Taoism, or folk religious sects like Shenism (animist) practices that do not entail membership in a religious organization.

What Religion is Banned in China?

China's constitution guarantees religious freedom for its citizens; the government only allows citizens to practice the five main religions. The Chinese government only allows these five religions because they are considered "free from superstition."

Though five religions are allowed in China, other beliefs aren't. For example, Falun Gong is a religious movement with over 70 million followers created in China. However, the Chinese government doesn't allow this movement to be practiced because they feel it goes against their ideology and interferes with their governance.

China Religion Laws

The Chinese constitution offers its citizens the freedom of religious belief. However, it also limits the level to which an individual can practice their religion in society by restricting certain activities deemed harmful to society.

The article of the Chinese constitution states that "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy the freedom of religious belief." However, the constitution goes on to list five "acts that impair the public order of society" which are not allowed. These acts include disrupting social order, endangering national security, infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of others, damaging public property, or disturbing the social order.

Since the constitution has this stipulation, China's current laws do not allow for public religious practice beyond government-controlled religious institutions.


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