China is a multi-religious country, where Confucianism,Taoism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity is practiced. Freedom of belief is a government policy, and normal religious activities are protected by the constitution.

On first acquaintance China's religious life seems complicated and conflicting, with temples full of confusing ornaments and worshippers dividing their devotion between Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. In fact, the Chinese have traditionally treated religion as a practical feature of everyday life.

When you see adorer in a temple, praying, lighting joss sticks or shaking fortune-sticks from a canister, you can be fairly sure that they are asking the gods for such benefits as medical help, wealth, the birth of a son and good luck. Although many modern Chinese would deny any religious belief, most of them acknowledge the balancing power of yin and yang, the dark, feminine negative and the light, masculine positive forces that make it possible to accept the bad times along with the good.

Confucianism

Confucianism dated back some two thousand years,despite not being a formal religion is practiced widely throughout the country.Although there are temples and monasteries dedicated to the fifth-century BC sage, Confucius (Kong Zi) is revered not as a god but a great man whose system of ethics shaped Chinese society for many centuries.Confucius believed that a successful society had to be regulated according to duties and privileges, so he devised a hierarchy of responsibility based on social realities. Thus a ruler was to be obeyed but he also had to take care of his people. In like manner, men had moral duties to their wives and children, who responded with loyalty and devotion. Although this could lead to stifling conformity, the system did create a civil service of educated, usually competent and mostly honest men. It also enshrined the practice of filial piety, which was a key factor in both Buddhism and Daoism.

Daoism

While Confucianism satisfied the practical needs of the Chinese, they looked to Daoism for an outlet for their romantic, and superstitious imaginations. Derived from ancient nature worship, Daoism was propagated by Lao Zi,a philosopher of the sixth century BC, who embraced the principles of yin and yang, but added a spirit world of immortal creatures who could intercede for devotees, if they were offered incense and burnt offerings.Daoists believe in the sanctity of all life, and advocate vegetarianism. They extol courage, loyalty and compassion. Among their many deities - most of whom were originally heroic or saintly humans - are Tian Hou, goddess of the sea, Bai Gong, spirit of the north, and Bao Gong, god of justice.

The Taoists aim was to secure and enjoy longevity or to become one of a variety of immortals. This could be achieved through a broad range of measures: medical treatment, sexual practices, breathing techniques, meditation, gymnastics, prayers, communal rites etc. Basically, it was considered necessary to keep the body and its own thousands of gods in harmony with their heavenly counterparts.

Buddhism

Lamaism, a Buddhist sect, has its followers mostly among the Tibetan, Mongolian, Tus and Yugur. Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle Buddhism, has believers mainly among such ethnic groups as the Bai, Dai, Deang, Achang, Blang, Jingpo and some of the Va.

The arrival of Buddhism in China via the Silk Road in the 2nd century BC, and found a ready public. It attracted scholars with its classical literature and artists with its high regard for sculpture and painting. It also drew those who wanted to renounce the world of the senses in remote monasteries and nunneries, where the faithful could spend his or her years in meditation and prayer.

Other religions:

Among other religions practiced in China, Islam has the greatest number of followers. They are mostly concentrated in the northwest regions of Xinjiang, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, although there are also Moslem communities in Xian, Beijing and Guangzhou.Islam has a following among ten ethnic groups -- the Hui, Uygur, Kazak, Tatar, Kirgiz, Tajik, Ozbek, Dongxiang, Salar and Bonan.

Christianity never achieved a wide acceptance in China and appealed mostly to Westernized intellectuals.Protestantism found converts among the Miao and Yi, and some ethnic minorities living in western Yunnan. Believers in the Orthodox Eastern Church are found among the small groups of Russian and Ewenki.There are some three million Catholics in China. Most belong to the state-approved church, while a minority recognize the Pope as their leader.