There are many religions in China.

About 85% of the Chinese people have a

religion while 15% are Atheist. Even then, most of the Atheists in China have taken part
of Buddhist rituals, which makes Buddhism the most popular religion in China. There are
3 major religions in China, and they are known as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
As stated from before, Buddhism is the most popular religion in China. There are
millions of Buddhists in China alone! There are more than 33 Buddhist temples in China
that are open to the public, more than 50 Buddhist colleges, and a more than 20 types of
publications dedicated to Buddhism. Buddhism was brought more than 2000 years ago
from India. As from what we can tell Buddhism spread like wildfire. There are hints of
Buddhism on the 3 main aspects of Chinese culture: literature, art, and ideology. After the
Han Dynasty collapsed many Chinese flocked towards Buddhism in promise to end the
human suffering such as war and disunity. After Buddhism was firmly anchored into
China, there was major competition between it and Taoism. Eventually, the teachings
mingled together and made up the Buddhism that is in China now.
Confucianism is not a religion per say, but it is a series of ethic and moral laws
dictated by Confucius himself. There are 3 major ideas in Confucianism. The first is that
everybody has a class, and they should do what they are supposed to do. An emperor will
always be an emperor, a father will always be a father, etc. The second major thing is that
you should always be in the middle of emotions, or find balance. Do not be too happy, yet
do not express dullness. The last major thing Confucius preached was to practice self
discipline. If you were unable to control yourself you will never be able to achieve
anything. Confucius didnt intend to make his teachings into a religion, but his followers
did. Confucianism spread under the Han Dynasty Emperor Wu at 140-87 B.C.E.
Buddhism began to die down after the Han Dynasty, only to be later reborn in the Tang
dynasty with some elements of Taoism and Buddhism.
Taoism, or Daoism, was a religion created from a book called Daode Jing, a
philosophy written by Lao Zi, in the 3rd or 4th century B.C. The Daode Jing focuses on the
Dao, or the Way, or the appropriate way to behave and lead others. The Daode Jing also

refers to the fact that the Tao has existed before Heaven and Earth. Taoism focuses on
balance, or Ying and Yang. Ying is your spiritual energy while Yang is your physical
Energy. Too much Ying or too much Yang is not good for your health. Only when you
have a perfect combination of both Ying and Yang will you lead to a perfect healthy life.
Taoism was not a religion until Zhang Daoling started it in 142 C.E. Taoism has
influenced Chinese politics, and when Buddhism appeared in China, adopted some of its
teachings until both religions have some related elements together.
All these religions are simply fascinating. There is so much history to be found in
China, occurring all over the centuries. Some of these religions were intentional, and
some of these religions came from a different country altogether. But they all had a part
in shaping the people and China into the China that we know today.

http://www.tao.org/tao.html
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Taoism.html
http://asiasociety.org/countries/religions-philosophies/confucianism
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/religioninchina/a/Buddhism.htm