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World > Asia >
China > China Religion
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religion of
China |
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The main religions of China are Buddhism, Islam, Christianity,
and Taoism, along with Shamanism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the Dongba
religion.
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Buddhism |
Introduced to China in about the first century A.D. from India. Over 13,000
Buddhist temples exist in China today as well as several branches of the
religion, including Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism is
generally practiced by Han Chinese.
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Islam |
Introduced around the mid-seventh century, rapid growth occurred during the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368). The Hui, Uygur, Kazak, Kirgiz, Tatar, Ozbek, Tajik,
Dongxiang, Salar and Bonan ethnicities follow Islam.
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Christianity |
Catholicism reached China after the seventh century and Protestantism in the
early 19th century. In China today there are over 4,600 Catholic churches,
12,000 Protestant churches, and over 25,000 other types of Christian worship.
Christianity is practiced by Han Chinese.
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Taoism |
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Taoism likely devloped into a religion around the second century. The philosophy
of Lao Zi is the foundation of the religion. Today, China has over 1,500 Taoist
temples. Han Chinese are the dominant practicers of Taoism. |
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