Your ads will be inserted here by
Easy Plugin for AdSense.
Please go to the plugin admin page to
Paste your ad code OR
Suppress this ad slot.
Most taxi drivers in Shanghai think I’m Uyghur. Sometimes, I even have to pull out my passport and explain, “No, I’m just a foreigner whose ancestors probably migrated from Central Asia centuries ago.” Genetics, right? 🙂
China, with a population of 1.4 billion, officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups. The Han Chinese make up approximately 91% of the population, making them the largest ethnic group. Other major ethnic groups include the Zhuang, Hui, Uyghur, Tibetans, and Manchus.
China is home to a variety of religions, with over 100 million believers. Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity are widely practiced, alongside Taoism, a religion native to China, as well as Shamanism, Orthodox Christianity, and Dongbaism.
Ten ethnic groups, including the Hui, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Uzbek, Tajik, Dongxiang, Salar, and Baoan, follow Islam. Groups such as the Tibetans, Mongolians, Lhoba, Monba, Tu, and Yugu adhere to Tibetan Buddhism, also known as “Lamaism.” The Dai, Bulang, and Deang groups practice Theravada Buddhism. Among the Miao, Yao, Yi, and several other ethnic groups, Catholicism and Christianity hold significant influence. Meanwhile, some members of the Han Chinese community follow Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism, or Taoism.
Buddhism entered China around the 1st century AD and began to spread rapidly after the 4th century, eventually becoming the most influential religion in the country. Tibetan Buddhism, a branch of Chinese Buddhism, is primarily practiced in Tibet and Inner Mongolia. There are over 13,000 Buddhist temples across China.
Islam was introduced to China in the mid-7th century and flourished during the Yuan Dynasty. Today, China is home to more than 30,000 mosques.
Catholicism gradually began to spread in China from the 7th century onwards, while Christianity (Protestantism) was introduced in the early 19th century. Currently, there are over 4,600 Catholic churches and clubs, 12,000 Christian churches, and more than 25,000 activity and gathering venues throughout the country.
Taoism, which originated in the 2nd century AD, was founded by Laozi, a Taoist philosopher from the Spring and Autumn Period. His work, the “Tao Te Ching,” serves as the foundational text of Taoism. There are over 1,500 Taoist temples in China.
Do Chinese ID cards include religious information?
As a secular state, China separates religion from government affairs and does not include individuals’ religious beliefs on official documents. The issued ID cards contain details such as name, gender, date of birth, ethnicity (e.g., Han, Uyghur, Hui), identification number, address, and photograph, but no information about religious affiliation.
China’s Approach to Religion
With the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the principle of secularism was adopted, affirming that citizens could follow any religion of their choice. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, adopted during the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People’s Congress in 1982, explicitly guarantees freedom of religious belief. According to the Constitution, no state organ, social organization, or individual may compel citizens to believe or not believe in a religion, nor discriminate against those who hold religious beliefs or those who do not.
The state ensures the protection of normal religious activities. However, it is also stipulated that religion may not be used to disrupt social order, harm citizens’ health, or interfere with the national education system. Additionally, it is clearly stated that religious groups and affairs are not subject to the influence or control of foreign powers.
China’s Legislative Approach to Religion
China has enacted laws such as the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, General Principles of Civil Law, Education Law, Labor Law, Compulsory Education Law, Election Law of the People’s Congress, Organic Law of Village Committees, and Advertising Law, which include the following provisions:
1. Citizens have the right to vote and be elected regardless of their religious beliefs.
2. The lawful property of religious groups is protected by law.
3. Education and religion are kept separate, and citizens enjoy equal educational opportunities under the law, regardless of their religious beliefs.
4. Individuals from all ethnic groups must respect each other’s languages, traditions, and religious beliefs.
5. Citizens cannot be discriminated against in employment based on their religious beliefs.
6. Advertisements and trademarks must not contain discriminatory content against ethnic groups or religions.
The Chinese government has issued the Regulations on the Administration of Religious Activity Sites to protect the legitimate rights and interests of religious activity sites. Additionally, it has implemented the Regulations on the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners in the People’s Republic of China to respect the freedom of religious belief of foreigners in China and to maintain friendly, cultural, and academic exchanges between foreigners and Chinese religious circles.
In China, religious education is not provided in public schools, except in minority regions. Constitutionally, China is a secular state and is committed to separating religious activities from state affairs. As a country with a diverse range of religious groups, including Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, and other faiths, China prioritizes preserving social unity. The concern is that offering religious education might lead to increased social and political divisions.
The education system is independent of religious beliefs and aims to promote national unity. It views religion as a personal matter and does not consider discussing religious doctrines appropriate in schools. Individuals seeking religious knowledge can pursue it personally through religious institutions supervised by the state. However, the education system focuses on cultivating students with a scientific, materialist, and socialist perspective, maintaining its independence from religious issues.
Religious Education in China’s Minority and Autonomous Regions
Your ads will be inserted here by
Easy Plugin for AdSense.
Please go to the plugin admin page to
Paste your ad code OR
Suppress this ad slot.
Religious education and instruction can only be conducted by religious groups, religious schools, temples, and churches. No other organization or individual is permitted to provide religious education or training to the public.
The Standing Committee of the Autonomous Region People’s Congress announced the newly revised “Regulations on Religious Affairs of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” which came into effect on February 1, 2024. These regulations clearly outline the management of religious schools.
Article 13: Religious schools must be established by religious groups within the autonomous region. No other organization or individual is allowed to establish religious schools. Applications for the establishment, modification, or termination of religious schools must comply with relevant national regulations.
Article 14: Religious schools must be managed in accordance with the law, promote educational and teaching reforms, and improve the quality of education.
Article 15: Religious schools are required to fulfill the following duties: 1. Cultivating patriotic individuals with religious expertise; 2. Accurately interpreting religious doctrines; 3. Providing training for active religious clergy.
Article 16: Religious schools must accept the guidance, supervision, and inspection of relevant departments of the autonomous region, provincial, and municipal (district) governments. They must also improve management systems and operational mechanisms to maintain regular teaching order.
Article 17: Religious schools must implement specific systems for teacher qualification certification, professional title evaluation and appointment, and degree conferral to students. These matters must be carried out in accordance with relevant national regulations.
Article 18: Religious groups, temples, palaces, mosques, and churches that conduct religious education and training lasting longer than three months must report to the religious affairs department of the provincial or municipal government (administrative office) for approval. For religious education and training lasting less than three months, the activity must be filed with the religious affairs department of the county-level or higher people’s government.
The establishment of standards to improve the quality of education in religious schools ensures a more systematic and reliable approach. These measures aim to prevent extremist religious activities, enhance public safety, and encourage the practice of religious beliefs on an individual level. Regulations and oversight contribute to making the activities of religious groups and schools more transparent and secure. Ultimately, these policies are designed to promote societal well-being, protect religious freedoms on an individual basis, and prevent conflicts arising from religious differences.
As of 1993, there were eight national religious groups in China, including the Buddhist Association of China, the Taoist Association of China, the Islamic Association of China, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the Chinese Catholic Education Committee, the Chinese Catholic Mission, the Christian “Three-Self” Patriotic Movement Committee, and the China Christian Council.
By 2023, China had over 100 million adherents of various religions, more than 85,000 religious sites, and over 3,000 religious groups. Among the approximately 300,000 religious clergy in China, more than 200,000 are Buddhist monks and nuns, over 25,000 are Taoist priests and nuns, more than 40,000 are Islamic imams and clergy, around 4,000 are Catholic clergy, and over 18,000 are Christian pastors.
At the schools where I worked, there were teachers who wore headscarves, and it was never an issue. Across from one of my previous schools, there was an Uyghur restaurant owned by a family who once excitedly showed me their communal prayers at a mosque in Shanghai on the morning of Eid. I witnessed how Uyghurs in Shanghai freely practiced their religion.
When I visit an Uyghur restaurant near my home, I sometimes see the owner’s wife reciting the Quran aloud or counting prayer beads in the restaurant. Customers enjoy their meals peacefully, without anyone disturbing each other. Yet, some Western media still claim, “This isn’t possible.”
A Canadian friend once took me to a market outside a mosque in Pudong, Shanghai. The food was incredible, and the people were amazing. I was even more surprised to learn that one of my neighbors in the building is an imam. He works at a nearby mosque, overseeing religious practices and training clergy.
I also have Uyghur friends who are doctors, waiters, and even students. The abundance of Uyghur restaurants in the city is another wonderful aspect of the cultural diversity here. Another neighbor of mine is a Christian who attends church every Sunday. When we meet, she occasionally shows me videos of what they do at church.
Among my friends, there are many Buddhists as well as atheists. This diversity has given me a deeper appreciation for the freedom and coexistence of different beliefs in Shanghai.
I have noticed that places of worship, such as mosques and churches, often have security measures in place. The purpose of these measures are to prevent the misuse of religion and ensure that those visiting these sites are there for genuine religious practices rather than other intentions.
Even in our employment contracts, it is explicitly stated that delivering public sermons or attempting to influence people on religious matters is prohibited. This approach aims to maintain respect among individuals of different beliefs and uphold social order. However, Western media often portrays China’s secular stance as dystopian oppression. But that’s not the case. It’s more about managing extremism across all religions and preventing the spread of radical ideas.
I had Belgian friends who visited Xinjiang, and what they shared in real-time warmed my heart. We have similar cultural elements, and they are big fans of Turkish TV series. They showed how people were freely practicing their faith in mosques. However, they also mentioned that it is a highly secure region. This heightened security stems from the tragic events of 2014.
In 2014, attackers wearing black t-shirts with crescent and star symbols stormed Kunming Train Station. Within 10 minutes, they took 31 lives and injured over 140 people with their swords. After this heartbreaking incident, the Chinese government increased security measures, particularly in the Xinjiang region, to ensure social stability. We even received a warning from the consulate advising us not to wear similar emblematic clothing for a while.
Watching documentaries online with my Chinese and foreign friends made us question the translation errors wondering how some Western media could make so many mistakes.
If you want to see for yourself, many Uyghurs and minorities share their lives through live streams on XHS. You can witness their daily lives with your own eyes.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that China takes a balanced and neutral approach to all religions. As a secular state, it firmly separates religion from politics and avoids mixing the two. The mindset is essentially: “You’re free to practice your faith, but that’s between you and your God. Just don’t try to influence others in public.” This approach is rooted in a strong focus on maintaining social harmony and stability.