The Chinese have three primary religions, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, each with separate teachings and axioms that have made their way into belief systems throughout their long histories.

Ancestor Worship

The Chinese people believe that a person has two souls. The first soul is created during conception and continues to stay in the grave with the corpse when the person dies. Hence, ancestor worship is very important.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated from India, and not from China, although it is one of the main Chinese religions. Traders and monks who traveled from India over the Silk Road only introduced it to China at the beginning of the first century. There are two kinds of Buddhism...

Taoism

A man named Laozi, who was an archivist for the Chinese government, created Taoism in the 6th Century. Taoism is based on the concepts of 'tao' (the way or path), and 'wuwei' (passivity).

Confucianism

Confucianism has been a major hallmark of Chinese culture for more than 2,000 years. Whether it is a religion in the strictest sense or just a philosophy of living remains controversial. Confucianism was popularized in the northern regions of China from 571-479BC. The founder, Confucius, was equalized with the heavenly god in 1906 and worshipped as a deity.