By S.C.
Senior Research Analyst for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
2017
Source: Freedom House Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
“The values of Buddhist ideals and the China Dream agree and understand [each other].… Together they achieve the ideological foundation of the struggle and the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” —Fang Litian, professor of Buddhist philosophy, Renmin University, 20131
“Many local governments look at temples as a source of revenues. The prefectural government developed the surrounding areas as an attempt to encircle the temple so they could collect admission fee. But the Master will never agree. He says that the moment we have to collect entrance fee to survive is the moment we close the temple.” —Monk at a temple in Jiangsu Province2
Key findings
Revival: Chinese Buddhism and Taoism have revived significantly over the past 30 years from near extinction, but their scale and influence pale in comparison to the pre–Chinese Communist Party (CCP) era. With an estimated 185 to 250 million believers, Chinese Buddhism is the largest institutionalized religion in China.
Intrusive controls: A large body of regulations and bureaucratic controls ensure political compliance, but unfairly restrict religious practices that are routine in other countries. Unrealistic temple registration requirements, infrequent ordination approvals, and official intervention in temple administration are among the controls that most seriously obstruct grassroots monastics and lay believers.
Under Xi Jinping: President Xi Jinping has essentially continued the policies of his predecessor, Hu Jintao, with some rhetorical adjustments. For CCP leaders, Chinese Buddhism and Taoism are seen as increasingly important channels for realizing the party’s political and economic goals at home and abroad. In a rare occurrence, a Chinese Buddhist monk was sentenced to prison in 2016 on politically motivated charges.
Commodification: Economic exploitation of temples for tourism purposes—a multibillion-dollar industry—has emerged as a key point of contention among the state, clergy, and lay believers.
Community response: Religious leaders and monks are becoming increasingly assertive in trying to negotiate free or relatively inexpensive access to temples, and are pushing back against commercial encroachment, often with success.
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