NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Religion in Taiwan

A wide diversity of religions can be found on Taiwan, due to its multicultural history, and religious freedom written in the constitution.

History

The original taiwanese aborigine tribes traditionally practice nature worship. With the arrival of the Dutch in 1624, Protestant Christianity was introduced to Taiwan via missionaries. The first converts were aborigines. Two years later, with the arrival of the Spanish, Catholicism was introduced into Taiwan. The Japanese brought Shinto to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period which began in 1895. Chinese migrants brought Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism with them to the island over a few centuries of immigration and settlement. In the last half century, Taiwan has also been a safe haven for religions banned in neighboring People's Republic of China, such as Falun Gong and Yi Guan Dao. A Rukai village Chief visiting the Department of Anthropology in Tokyo Imperial University during the Japanese rule. ... Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Taoism is the English name for a cluster of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions. ... Falun Gong, (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Practice of the Wheel of Law) also known as Falun Dafa, (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; lit. ... I-Kuan Tao emblem. ...

Religions

Statistics

Government figures

The table shows official statistics on religion issued by the Civil Affairs Department, Ministry of the Interior, in 2002[1]. The ROC government recognizes 25 religions in Taiwan. Statistics for the following religions are missing from the table below:

The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. ... The Unification Church is a new religious movement started by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in the 1940s. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Taoism is the English name for a cluster of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions. ... I-Kuan Tao emblem. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Wang Hao De (1921 â€“ 1999) is the founder of the Maitreya Great Tao religion (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), which is based in Hsin Chu, Taiwan. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Tenrikyo Headquarters, Tenri Tenrikyo (å¤©ç†æ•™; TenrikyÅ, lit. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Huang Zhong (黄忠; style name: Hansheng 汉升) (? - 220), was born Nanyang (in modern day Henan province). ...

CIA Figures

Blended Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, and Folk Religion

According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA, there are about 93.5% of people identifying themselves as Buddhists, Taoists, or practitioners of Chinese folk religion. It is common for people to practice a blend of the three. Many people practice Buddhism exclusively, but those who practice Taoism more often blend Taoist religious practices with elements from Buddhism and folk traditions. It is not uncommon to find a Buddhist temple adjacent to a Taoist temple, or even under the same roof. One example of this is Longshan Temple in Taipei City. Religious diversity has never been a significant source of conflict in Taiwan. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA, colloquially known as The Company or simply, The Agency) is an intelligence agency of the United States Government. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, SiddhÄrtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Taoism is the English name for a cluster of Chinese religious and philosophical traditions. ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and rituals transmitted from generation to generation of a specific culture. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Longshan Temple at Wanhua, Taipei Longshan Temple (龍山寺) is the name of at least five famous temples in Taiwan: Wanhua, Taipei City. ... Alternative meaning: Taipei County City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area - Total - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ...

Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common, and can be spotted on road sides, parks, and neighborhoods in Taiwanese cities and towns. These small pockets of religious atmosphere let people stop by and pray informally anytime. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business. Students may visit a shrine to the Learning god for good luck before a test. Kitchen gods are mythical beings that represent abstract concepts such as luck or just propel the minor changes of everyday life. ...

Taoist temples are highly decorative. Colorfully tiled sculptures of dragons and other mythological creatues highlight the roof, and temples are often filled with statues of many gods and semi-theistic historical figures, reflecting the polytheistic and ancestor worship tradition of Taoism and folk religion. Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. ... Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ...

Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to Taiwan in the late 1500s with the Chinese immigration. Several forms of Buddhism have thrived on Taiwan ever since. During the Japanese occupation, Japanese Buddhism was introduced as part of the overall policy of cultural assimilation by the colonial government. Although many Buddhist communities affiliated themselves with Japanese sects for protection, they largely retained Chinese Buddhist practices. For instance, clerical marriage and meat-eating did not make the headway they did in occupied Korea.Today, 94% of Taiwan's population is Buddhist. Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... Japanese Buddhist priest c. ...

Following retrocession, Taiwan was inundated with Mainland monks, including some of the best and brightest of the previous decades, such as Master Yinshun (Yìnshùn 印順). Tainted by the whiff of collaboration, outshone by these refugees, and underrepresented in the Chinese Buddhist Association (CBA) which served as a liaison with the government, the local lineages declined.

The CBA remained the dominant Buddhist organization until the end of martial law, when its government mandated monopoly was ended. Since the eighties, Buddhism has enjoyed a surge of popularity as the percentage of people identifying themselves as Buddhist rose from the low teens to almost fifty percent. Today there are several large Buddhist organization based in Taiwan that have expanded to become international organization. They include Dharma Drum Mountain (Făgŭshān 法鼓山) founded by Master Shèngyán (聖嚴), Buddha's Light International (Fógŭangshān 佛光山) founded by Master Xīngyún (星雲), and the Tzu Chi Foundation (Cíjì jījīnhùi 慈濟基金會) founded by Master Cheng Yen (證嚴法師). Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) (Chinese:æ³•é¼“å±±, Hanyu Pinyin: Fa Gu Shan) is an international Buddhist cultural and educational foundation founded by Chan Master Sheng-yen. ...

Tzu Chi, one of the largest international non-profit Buddhist organizations, focuses on community service, outreach programs, charity work, and international humanitarian efforts. They have opened hospitals, community centers, schools, and Tzu Chi University in Hualien County. Main Temple of the Tzu-Chi Organization with Hospital on the right The Tzu Chi Foundation (Hanyu Pinyin: Cí Jì, Wade-Giles: Tzu Chi, Simplified Chinese: 慈济基金会, Traditional Chinese: 慈濟基金會) is one of the two large Buddhist organizations in Taiwan (the... Tzu Chi University(Chinese: æ…ˆæ¿Ÿå¤§å¸), or TCU, is a private university in Hualien, Republic of China(Taiwan). ... Hualien County (Traditional Chinese: èŠ±è“®ç¸£; Hanyu Pinyin: HÅ«aliÃ¡n XiÃ n; Tongyong Pinyin: HualiÃ¡n SiÃ n; Wade-Giles: Hua-lien Hsien; POJ: Hoa-liÃ¢n-kÅan) is the largest county in Taiwan. ...

In the last few years non-Chinese forms of Buddhism, such as Tibetan Buddhism and the Vipassana movement of S. N. Goenka, have also enjoyed growing followings. Tibetan Buddhism (Simplified Chinese: è—ä¼ ä½›æ•™) is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... VipassanÄ (PÄli) or vipaÅ›yanÄ (Sanskrit) means insight. While it is often referred to as Buddhist meditation, the practice taught by the Buddha was non-sectarian, and has universal application. ... Sri Satya Narayan Goenka (born 1924) is a leading lay teacher of Vipassana meditation and a student of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. ...

Confucianism

Confucianism, although not a religion in the western sense but a moral philosophy and ethical code, has been a major influence on the ideology, ethics, education, and everyday values of the Taiwanese. Confucianism has been a foundation for Chinese society and government since the sixth century B.C., and was spread to Taiwan with the migration of Chinese settlers over the past four centuries. Confucian temples are not places of worship, but rather memorial halls honoring Confucius, regarded as the greatest teacher in ancient China. Confucius's birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day every September 28. Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... This article is 58 kilobytes or more in size. ... In the context of a code adopted by a profession or by a governmental or quasi-governmental organ to regulate that profession, an ethical code may be styled as a code of professional responsibility, which may dispense with difficult issues of what behavior is ethical. Some codes of ethics are... Apricot Platform in the Confucian Temple at Qufu. ... Confucius (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kung-fu-tzu, lit. ... Teachers Day is a national holiday in some countries. ...

Christianity

Christian churches exist on the Republic of China (Taiwan) due to their tolerant democratic government. According to figures given by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Christians which include Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, and non-denominational Christians make up a total of 4.5% of the population of Taiwan. Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... Motto: Three Principles of the People (ä¸‰æ°‘ä¸»ç¾© San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto) Nanking (de jure)1 Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuÃ³yÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system - President Chen Shui-bian - Vice President Annette Lu - Premier Su Tseng-chang... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA, colloquially known as The Company or simply, The Agency) is an intelligence agency of the United States Government. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The term Mormon is a colloquial name, most-often used to refer to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ...

Islam

Islam originated in Saudi Arabia and spread eastward to China as early as the 7th century AD. Muslim merchants married local Chinese women, creating a new Chinese ethnic group called the Hui people. Islam first reached Taiwan in the 17th century when Muslim families from the southern Chinese coastal province of Fujian accompanied Koxinga on his invasion to oust the Dutch from Taiwan. Islam did not spread and their descendants became assimilated into the local Taiwanese society adopting the local customs and religions. Islam reached Taiwan in the 17th century when muslim families from the southern coastal Fukien Province of China accompanied Koxinga on his invasion of Taiwan to oust the Dutch from the southern city of Tainan in 1661. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The Hui people (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; pronounced hway) are a Chinese ethnic group, typically distinguished by their practice of the Islamic religion. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal map spelling: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiÃ n) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Koxinga (Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: GÃºoxÃ¬ngyÃ©; Tongyong Pinyin: GÃºosÃ¬ngyÃ©; Taiwanese; Kok-sÃ¨ng-iÃ¢/Kok-sÃ¬â¿-iÃ¢) is the popular name of Zheng Chenggong (Traditional Chinese: é„æˆåŠŸ; Hanyu Pinyin: ZhÃ¨ng ChÃ©nggÅng; Tongyong Pinyin: JhÃ¨ng ChÃ©nggong; Wade-Giles: Cheng Cheng-kung; Pe...

During the Chinese Civil War, some 20,000 Muslims, mostly soldiers and civil servants, fled mainland China with the Kuomintang to Taiwan. Since the 1980s, thousands of Muslims from Myanmar and Thailand, who are descendants of Nationalist soldiers who fled Yunnan as a result of the communist takeover, have migrated to Taiwan in search of a better life. In more recent years, there has been a rise in Indonesian workers to Taiwan. There are an estimated 80,000 Indonesian Muslims living in Taiwan, in addition to the existing 53,000 Taiwanese Muslims. All demographics combined, there are over 140,000 Muslims in Taiwan. Combatants Chinese Nationalists Chinese Communists Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese... The highlighted area in the map is what is commonly known as mainland China. Mainland China (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: is a geopolitical term which is usually synonymous with the area currently administered by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC); however, it excludes the two special administrative regions... The Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3), commonly known as the Kuomintang (KMT), is a centre-right political party in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of sitting... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally south of the clouds) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located in the far southwestern corner of the country. ...

Atheism and Agnosticism

Excluding the nontheistic Buddhism, there are small populations of atheists and agnostics living in Taiwan.^{[citation needed]} Nontheism or non-theism is the absence of belief in any gods. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... Agnosticism is the philosophical and theological view that the existence of God, gods or deities is either unknown or inherently unknowable. ...

Contents

History

Religions

Statistics

Government figures

CIA Figures

Blended Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, and Folk Religion

Buddhism

Confucianism

Christianity

Islam

Atheism and Agnosticism

See also

Links

Contents

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Religions

Statistics

Government figures

CIA Figures

Blended Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, and Folk Religion

Buddhism

Confucianism

Christianity

Islam

Atheism and Agnosticism

See also

Links

History