Religion has played a powerful role in shaping the history of every country; China is no exception. China’s long history has been influenced both by native religions (Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Daoism) and religions brought to the Chinese people by foreigners (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam). These religions would be in favor with the government at some times and out of favor at other times. In the 20th century, religious freedom was guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of China. That didn’t mean that religious groups were completely free from discrimination or government harassment, however. But, compared to much of the rest of the world, China was a beacon of religious liberty. Thousands of people fled to China in order to practice their faith during the latter half of the 20th century.
Belief in traditional Chinese religion was declining in the 20th century. Some were abandoning religion altogether, while others were converting to other religions (mostly Christianity). There were many organizations created to promote Confucianism. The Chinese Confucian Society Society was founded in 1956 and was the largest organization to promote Confucianism. The organization’s most notable work was training professors and other educators in Confucian ideals. Chen Lifu would be a member until his death, which was somewhat ironic considering his rivalry with Confucius’ descendants. Confucianism is a very different religion than Western religions, and is often called a philosophy instead of a religion. Many Chinese practiced Confucianism alongside other religions. Confucian ideals heavily influenced Chinese people of all faiths.
Buddhism was, and still is, the largest religion in China according to most estimates. Buddhism is prevalent throughout most of China, and each Chinese province is home to many Buddhist temples. These temples became a big draw for tourists as foreigners began to visit China in large numbers in the 1970s. This led to increased interest in Buddhism and Eastern religion in general in Europe and North America. The Chinese government saw Buddhism as a useful tool in the fight against Communism. The Buddhist Anti-Communist League was founded in 1965 after a Legislative Yuan initiative masterminded by Chen Lifu to organize religious opposition to Communism. The organization was originally led by Shi Jian, a member of the Legislative Yuan from Liaoning. The Buddhis Anti-Communist League would later be taken over by Chen Li-an, the son of former Premier Chen Cheng.
Buddhism was the religion of the overwhelming majority of the population in Tibet. The Dalai Lama was an important spiritual figure for Tibetan Buddhists. At first, the Dalai Lama was upset about the Chinese invasion and annexation. He was even in contact with the May 5 coup plotters. However, by 1970, he had come to peace with the fact that independence was impossible, and figured out that cooperation with Nanking was in his best interests. In 1953, a group of dissident monks found a six-year-old boy who they proclaimed to be the true Dalai Lama in Golmud, Qinghai. These monks acted as his handlers until the boy reached adulthood. His true origins are shrouded in mystery, though it is believed that he was the illegitimate child of a Tibetan Buddhist mother and a Hui Muslim father in 1947. He would be known by the name Chun Kaiming, a name that would be made famous in China and abroad.
China’s Muslim population was concentrated in the west, though Chinese Muslims are found all around the country. The Hui were around 1% of China’s population, but they served, and continue to serve, in the Chinese armed forces at much higher rates than the general population. The Hui Muslims had great relations with the Chinese government. Relations with the Uyghurs were not as good, but there were plenty of Uighur leaders in the KMT. The overwhelming majority of Chinese Muslims were Sunni. During the 20th century very few people converted to Islam in China, and very few Chinese Muslims converted to other religions. Chen Lifu was eager to organize Muslim opposition to Communism. He put general Ma Bufang in charge of this effort, and he secured the help of Saudi Arabia in this endeavor. The Saudis in turn funded the construction of mosques and trained clerics in China.
While Muslims had a disproportionate influence in the military, Christians had a disproportionate influence in politics. Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek were both Christians, as were many other Chinese politicians (including politicians who opposed Chiang and/or the KMT). Like with Buddhists and Muslims, the KMT used Christianity to further its anti-Communist goals. Christianity was growing, especially Protestant Christianity. While Catholics were traditionally the majority of Christians in China, by the 1970s Catholics and Protestants were about even in numbers. A small Orthodox Christian community existed, mostly from Soviet defectors and other Chinese of Russian descent. Christians also fled North Korea into China to freedom, as the border there was easier to cross than with the South. The growth of Christianity was partly from missionaries, but the Christian faith was increasingly being spread to Chinese people by other Chinese people. Christians were a minority of the Han population, but the majority of the Lisu people in Yunnan and the Taiwanese Aboriginals. The most famous Chinese Christian preacher of that era was Watchman Nee who died in 1972.
Other smaller religions were practiced. There were tend of thousands of Jews in China, though many of them were foreigners working in the country. There was once a large Jewish population (largely consisting of refugees) in the Northeast, particularly Harbin, but most of them moved to Israel in the 1940s. Morris “Two-gun” Cohen, a Jewish general in the Chinese Army, was given a state funeral when he died in 1970. The mid-20th century saw the LDS Church began to proselytize in earnest. When Mormon missionaries entered Ma-controlled territory, they were encouraged to proselytize only to non-Muslims there. Jehovah’s Witnesses came as well. While Mormons were usually tolerated, the government was hostile to Jehovah’s Witnesses, in a large part due to their pacifism. Proposals to outlaw the religion were not enacted, though missionaries were often deported.
(Morris "Two-gun" Cohen)
