Religion in Taiwan
Religion in Taiwan is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices, predominantly those pertaining to the continued preservation of the ancient Chinese culture and religion. Freedom of religion is inscribed in the constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The majority of Taiwanese people practice a combination of Buddhism and Taoism often with a Confucian worldview, which is collectively termed as Chinese folk religion.
Many statistical analyses try to distinguish between Buddhism and Taoism in Taiwan, which, along with Confucianism, are rather aspects within broader "ancient Chinese religion". It is hard to make such distinction because various Taoist deities are worshipped alongside deities which originated in Buddhism, for instance Guanyin, in many temples across the country.
As of 2019[update], there were 15,175 religious buildings in Taiwan, approximately one place of worship per 1,572 residents. 12,279 temples were dedicated to Taoism and Buddhism. There were 9,684 Taoist Temples, 2,317 Buddhist Temples, and 2,845 Christian Churches.[3] In Taiwan's 36,000 square kilometers of land, there are more than 33,000 places for religious (believers) to worship and gather. Averaging almost one religious building (temple, church, etc.) for every square kilometer, Taiwan is considered to have the highest density of religious buildings, making it the "most religious" region in the area where Chinese is the majority language.
History
Prior to the 17th century, the
When the Han Chinese began to settle on the island and form the Taiwanese Chinese ethnic group, exchanges between the indigenous religion of the Austronesian aborigines and the Chinese folk religion occurred.[5] For instance, Ali-zu, the Siraya god of fertility, has been incorporated into the Han pantheon in some places of Taiwan.[6]
17th and 18th centuries
A large influx of Han Chinese began in the 1660s with the transition of imperial power from the Ming dynasty to the Manchurian Qing dynasty.[7] Many Ming loyalists fled to the south, including Zheng Chenggong alias Koxinga, a military warlord who fought against the Manchu dynasty.[7] He sailed to Taiwan in 1661 with thousands of troops, and in a war with the Dutch, he defeated and drove out the Dutch military forces and established the Kingdom of Tungning, the first Chinese state on the island.[7] Chinese settlers, mostly from Fujian and Guangdong, began to migrate to the island.[7] The policy of migration to Taiwan was restrictive until 1788, even after the island came under the political control of the Qing in 1683.[7]
Chinese migrants brought with them the
The first settlers in Koxinga and Qing periods brought with them images or incense ashes from mainland temples, installed them in homes or temporary thatched huts, and later in proper temples, as economic circumstances permitted to build them.[9] Prominent temples became the foci of religious, political and social life, often eclipsing Qing officials and state-sponsored temples in their influence.[9]
There is little evidence that the doctrinal and initiatory religions of Buddhism and Taoism were active during this period.[9] Taiwan, as a frontier land, was not attractive for Buddhist and Taoist religious leaders.[9]
19th century
During the mid-
Apart from zhaijiao Buddhist sects, other folk religious sects, that were mistakenly classified as Buddhist by the Japanese government, were active in Taiwan.[12] The most prominent were the three religions of fasting: the Jinchuang, the Longhua, and Xiantiandao traditions (the latter was introduced to Taiwan in the mid-19th century).[12]
20th century—Japanese rule
In 1895, the Manchu government
During the Japanese period many indigenous groups were forcibly converted to Shintoism, only a few (such as the Saisiyat people) were able to resist and maintain their traditions. Often this was done by convincing Japanese anthropologists to come to Taiwan and document religious traditions as legitimate cultural heritage however even the indigenous people allowed to keep some traditional ceremonies were still forced to pray at Shinto temples.[14]
Buddhism, as a shared heritage of China and Japan, received better treatment than Chinese folk religion and Taoism.[15] Some Taiwanese Buddhist groups cooperated with the Japanese government, and Japanese Buddhist sects sent missionaries to Taiwan and even worked with zhaijiao Buddhist groups.[16] The total number of Japanese Buddhist groups that were introduced to Taiwan could be categorized into 14 sects under 8 schools. However, given the profound differences between Chinese and Japanese Buddhist traditions (among others, Japanese priests marry, eat meat and drink wine, all of which Chinese monks abstain from), the "Japanisation" of Chinese Buddhism was resisted by Taiwanese Buddhist communities.[17] During the same period, most Taiwanese Buddhist temples came to affiliate with one of four central temples, called "Four Holy Mountains" (台灣四大名山).
In 1915, Japanese religious policies in Taiwan changed after the "Xilai Hermitage incident".[17] The hermitage was a zhaijiao Buddhist hall where the follower Yu Qingfang (余清芳) started an anti-Japanese uprising, in which many other folk religious and Taoist sects took part.[17] The Japanese government discovered the plot and Yu Qingfang was executed in a speedy trial together with ninety-four other followers.[17]
After the incident, the Japanese government became suspicious of what it called Taiwan's "old religious customs" (kyūkan shūkyō).[17] The government began to investigate, register and regulate local temples, and it created islandwide Buddhist religious associations—into which even zhaijiao Buddhist groups were enrolled—whose charters recommended loyalty to the government.[18]
In 1937, after the
The subsequent "temples' restructuration movement" caused much consternation among the Chinese population and had far-reaching effects.[20] Its inception can be traced back to the "Conference for Improving Popular Customs" held in 1936, that far from promoting a razing of temples discussed measures for a reform and standardisation of Taoist and folk temple practices.[19]
The outbreak of open war between China and Japan in 1937 led to a proscription of practices and even stronger measures, as Japanese officials saw the religious culture centered around folk temples as the major obstacle to Japanisation.[20] Consequently, some local officials began to close and to demolish temples, burning their images, confiscating their cash and real estates, a measure that they called "sending the gods to Heaven".[20] In 1940, when a new governor-general took office, the "temples' restructuration movement" was halted.[21]
The Japanese persecution of Chinese folk religion led to an increase in skepticism and loss of faith among the Chinese.
Another effect of the Japanese colonisation on religious life in Taiwan was due to the modernisation of infrastructures.[24] Before the 20th century the travel infrastructure of Taiwan was not very developed, and it was difficult for people to move from a part of the island to another.[24] The Japanese quickly constructed a network of railroads connecting all regions of the island.[24] In the field of religion, this promoted the rise in importance of some Buddhist, Taoist or folk temples as island-wide pilgrimage sites.[24] During this time, some gods lost their local and sub-ethnic nature and became "pan-Taiwanese".[25]
1945 onwards—Republic of China rule
In 1945, after the
In 1949, the 63rd Celestial Master of Taoism Zhang Enpu (張恩溥) escaped from mainland China to Taiwan after the Government of the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War, bringing the religious leadership and orthodoxy of Zhengyi Dao to Taiwan. The lineage for the Celestial Master has since passed on to the 65th Celestial Master Zhang Yijiang (張意將).
The rapid
After the 1950s, and especially since the 1970s, there was a significant growth of
Religions
Major religions
Chinese folk religion
Chinese traditional, popular or folk religion, or simply Chinese religion, also called Shenism, defines the collection of
It consists in the worship of the
Chinese folk religion in Taiwan is framed by the ritual ministry exerted by the
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Folk Taoists officiating a ceremony in Taichung.
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An altar dedicated to various gods at a temple in Tainan.
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Temple of Fude in Wujie, Yilan.
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Hui'an Temple in Kuantien, Tainan. The festival welcomed politician Chen Shui-bian home after his 2004 re-election.
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Hotsu Longfong Temple dedicated to Mazu in Miaoli.
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Temple of Guandi in Hsinchu.
Chinese salvationism
As of 2005, more than 10% of the population of Taiwan adhered to a variety of folk religious organisations of salvation. The largest of them is
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A Yiguandao-organised Confucian ceremony for the worship of gods and Heaven in March 2017. Yiguandao elders are those clad in grey robes.
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The Luanist Rebirth Church (重生堂 Chóngshēngtáng) in Taichung.
Taoism and Confucianism
Politicians of all parties appear at Taoist temples during campaigns, using them for political gatherings.[37] Despite this and the contention among sects for leadership, there is no unitary structure of authority overseeing all Taoists in Taiwan.[37] According to the 2005 census, there were 7.6 million Taoists in Taiwan (33% of the population) in that year.[2] As of 2015, there were 9,485 registered Taoist temples in Taiwan, constituting 78% of all registered temples.[38]
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Temple of the Great Peace in Caotun, Nantou.
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Sanye Temple in Bao-an, Tainan.
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Ceremony at a Temple of Confucius in Chiayi.
Buddhism
Although many Buddhist communities affiliated with Japanese sects for protection, they largely retained Chinese Buddhist practices. For instance, the Japanisation of Chinese Buddhism, the introduction of clerical marriage and the practice of eating meat and drinking wine, was not as successful as in the Buddhist tradition of Japanese-occupied Korea.[16]
Following the end of
The Buddhist Association of the Republic of China remained the dominant Buddhist organization until the end of restrictions on religious activities in the 1980s. Today there are several large
The
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Shuang Ho Jing Temple of the Tzu Chi, in Zhonghe, New Taipei.
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Temple of the Great Buddha in Changhua.
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Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Puli, Nantou.
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Karma Kagyu Temple, a temple of Tibetan Buddhism in Tainan.
Minor religions
Baháʼí Faith
The history of the Baháʼí Faith (Chinese: 巴哈伊教; pinyin: Bāhāyījiào) in Taiwan began after the religion entered areas of China[42] and nearby Japan.[43] The first Baháʼís arrived in Taiwan in 1949[44] and the first of these to have become a Baháʼí was Jerome Chu (Chu Yao-lung) in 1945 while visiting the United States. By May 1955 there were eighteen Baháʼís in six localities across Taiwan. The first Local Spiritual Assembly in Taiwan was established in Tainan in 1956. With a growing number of Local Spiritual Assemblies (Taipei, Tainan, Hualien and Pingtung), the Taiwanese National Spiritual Assembly was established in 1967. In the 2005 official statistics on religion issued by the Department of Civil Affairs, the Baháʼís had 16,000 members and 13 Local Spiritual Assemblies.[2]
Christianity
Estimates in 2020 suggested that the portion had risen to 4% or 6%.[45][46][47]
Despite its minority status, many of the early
Christianity in Taiwan has declined since the 1970s, after strong growth from 1950 to the 1960s.[48]
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CihouPresbyterianChurch in Kaohsiung.
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TruthLutheranChurch in Taipei.
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XizhiPresbyterianChurch in New Taipei.
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Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Shulin, New Taipei.
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True Jesus Church in Tainan.
-
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hinduism
There were 2,356 (0.01%) Hindus in Taiwan according to ARDA in 2020.[49][50]
Islam
Though Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula, it had spread eastward to China as early as the 7th century CE. 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 China's 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.
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. According to the census of 2005, there were 58,000 Muslims in Taiwan in that year.[2]
In 2021 280,000 Muslims were living in Taiwan with most being foreign nationals. Taiwan is highly ranked as a Muslim-friendly tourism destination.[51]
Judaism
There has been a Jewish community in Taiwan since the 1950s.[52] Since 2011, there has been a Chabad in Taipei.[53]
Shinto
Gaoshi Shrine was the first Shinto shrine rebuilt after World War II.
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Gaoshi Shrine in Mudan, Pingtung.
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Hokora of Gaoshi Shrine.
Census statistics
The table shows official statistics on religion issued by the Department of Civil Affairs, Ministry of the Interior ("MOI"), in 2005. The Taiwanese government recognizes 26 religions in Taiwan.[2] The statistics are reported by the various religious organizations to the MOI:[2][54]
Religion | Members | % of total population | Temples & churches |
---|---|---|---|
Tantric Buddhism ) |
8,086,000 | 35.1% | 4,006 |
Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and folk religion (道教) | 7,600,000 | 33.0% | 18,274 |
Yiguandao (一貫道) | 810,000 | 3.5% | 3,260 |
Protestantism (基督新教) | 605,000 | 2.6% | 3,609 |
Catholic Church (羅馬天主教) | 298,000 | 1.3% | 1,151 |
Lord of Universe Church— Tiandiism (天帝教) |
298,000 | 1.3% | 50 |
Miledadao (彌勒大道) |
250,000 | 1.1% | 2,200 |
Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue—Tiandiism (天德教) | 200,000 | 0.9% | 14 |
Zailiism /Liism (理教) |
186,000 | 0.8% | 138 |
Xuanyuanism (軒轅教) |
152,700 | 0.7% | 22 |
Islam (伊斯蘭教) | 58,000 | 0.3% | 7 |
Mormonism (耶穌基督後期聖徒教會) | 51,090 | 0.2% | 54 |
Tenriism (天理教) |
35,000 | 0.2% | 153 |
Church of Maitreya the King of the Universe (宇宙彌勒皇教) | 35,000 | 0.2% | 12 |
Haizidao (亥子道) | 30,000 | 0.1% | 55 |
Church of Scientology (山達基教會) | 20,000 | < 0.1% | 7 |
Baháʼí Faith (巴哈伊教) | 16,000 | < 0.1% | 13 |
Jehovah's Witnesses (耶和華見證人) | 20,300 | < 0.1% | 177 |
True School of the Mysterious Gate (玄門真宗) | 5,000 | < 0.1% | 5 |
Holy Church of the Middle Flower (中華聖教) | 3,200 | < 0.1% | 7 |
Mahikari (真光教團) | 1,000 | < 0.1% | 9 |
Precosmic Salvationism (先天救教) |
1,000 | < 0.1% | 6 |
Yellow Middle (黃中) | 1,000 | < 0.1% | 1 |
Dayiism (大易教) | 1,000 | < 0.1% | 1 |
Total religious population | 18,724,823 | 81.3% | 33,223 |
Total population | 23,036,087 | 100% | - |
The figures for
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is inscribed in the constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and ranked high at 9.2 on the Freedom Scale in 2018 according to the World Bank.[56] In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[57]
See also
- Chinese folk religion
- Ancestral temples
- Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage
- Qing Shan King Sacrificial Ceremony
- Wang Ye worship
- Four Great Mountains (Taiwan)
- Temples of Taichung
- List of Shinto shrines in Taiwan
- Religion in China
- Religion in Hong Kong
- Religion in Macau
- List of temples in Taiwan
References
Citations
- ^ "Taiwan, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Taiwan Yearbook 2006". Taiwan Government Information Office, Department of Civil Affairs, Ministry of the Interior. 2006. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007.
- ^ "表23各宗教教務概況" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-06-02.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 11.
- ^ Rubinstein (2014), p. 347.
- ^ Shepherd, John R. (1986). "Sinicized Siraya Worship of A-li-tsu". Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica (58). Taipei: Academia Sinica: 1–81.
- ^ a b c d e f Clart & Jones (2003), p. 12.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 13-14.
- ^ a b c d Clart & Jones (2003), p. 15.
- ^ a b c d Clart & Jones (2003), p. 16.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 17.
- ^ a b c Clart & Jones (2003), p. 18.
- ^ a b c d Clart & Jones (2003), p. 19.
- ^ Cheung, Han (22 November 2020). "Taiwan in Time: The ceremony that endured the times". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 20.
- ^ a b c Clart & Jones (2003), pp. 20–21.
- ^ a b c d e Clart & Jones (2003), p. 21.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), pp. 21–23.
- ^ a b c d Clart & Jones (2003), p. 24.
- ^ a b c Clart & Jones (2003), p. 25.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 26.
- ^ a b Clart & Jones (2003), p. 27.
- ^ Gowing, Peter G. (July–August 1970). "Islam in Taiwan". Saudi Aramco World. 21 (4).
- ^ a b c d Clart & Jones (2003), p. 29.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), pp. 29–31.
- ^ Rubinstein (2014), p. 351.
- ^ Rubinstein (2014), p. 355.
- ^ Rubinstein (2014), p. 346.
- ^ a b Rubinstein (2014), p. 356.
- ^ a b c Rubinstein (2014), p. 357.
- ^ Rubinstein (2014), p. 360.
- ^ Brown & Cheng (2012), passim.
- De Groot, J. J. M. (1912). Religion in China - Universism: A Key to the Study of Taoism and Confucianism. Kessinger Publishing.
- ISBN 1402006489. p. 110, quote: «J. J. M. de Groot calls "Chinese Universism" the ancient metaphysical view that serves as the basis of all classical Chinese thought. [...] In Universism, the three components of integrated universe — understood epistemologically, "heaven, earth and man", and understood ontologically, "Taiji(the great beginning, the highest ultimate), yin and yang" — are formed.»
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), Ch. 5 (p. 98-124).
- ^ 中央管法輪功廣告,台南市長認為不妥。 (in Chinese). Executive Yuan.
- ^ a b c d e Brown & Cheng (2012), p. 68.
- ^ Lee Hsin-fang; Chung, Jake (15 July 2015). "Tainan has most of nation's 12,106 temples". Taipei Times.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 48.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 60.
- ^ Clart & Jones (2003), p. 186.
- ^ Hassall, Graham (January 2000). "The Baháʼí Faith in Hong Kong". Official Website of the Baháʼís of Hong Kong. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Hong Kong.
- ^ Baldwin Alexander, Agnes (1977). Sims, Barbara R. (ed.). "History of the Baháʼí Faith in Japan 1914–1938". Osaka: Baháʼí Publishing Trust.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ R. Sims, Barbara (1994). The Taiwan Baháʼí Chronicle: A Historical Record of the Early Days of the Baháʼí Faith in Taiwan. Tokyo: Baháʼí Publishing Trust of Japan.
- ^ The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28
- ^ The Joshua Project, retrieved 2032-08-28
- ^ Washington Times website, article by Mark Kellmer dated August 12, 2022
- ^ Rubinstein, Murray A. (1994). The Other Taiwan: 1945 To the Present. M. E. Sharpe. p. 94.
- ^ Sibal, Sidhant. "Taiwan gets 'Sabka Mandir,' a Hindu temple that strengthens cultural bonds with India". WION News. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Taiwan Gets 'Sabka Mandir' That Strengthens Cultural Bond With India". NDTV. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Staff writer (18 July 2021). "Taiwan ranks second as destination for Muslims". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Yiu, Cody (14 February 2005). "Taipei's Jewish community has deep roots". Taipei Times. p. 2.
- ^ Cashman, Greer Fay (14 January 2012). "Energetic Chabad rabbi nourishes Jewish Taipei". The Jerusalem Post.
- ^ "2006 Report on International Religious Freedom". U.S. Department of State. 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
- ^ "Taiwan - Facts and Statistics". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- ^ "Freedom of religion, Scale". World Bank. 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
Sources
- Rubinstein, Murray A. (2014). Taiwan: A New History. Routledge. ISBN 9780765614957.
- Clart, Philip; Jones, Charles B., eds. (2003). Religion in modern Taiwan: tradition and innovation in a changing society. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 9780824825645.
- Clart, Philip; Ownby, David; Wang, Chien-chuan (2010). "Text and Context: Redemptive Societies in the History of Religions of Modern and Contemporary China". University of Leipzig.
- Brown, Deborah A.; Cheng, Tun-jen (January 2012). "Religious Relations across the Taiwan Strait: Patterns, Alignments, and Political Effects" (PDF). Orbis. 56 (1): 60–81. .