Differences in religious culture between China and the UK
Buddhist Temple Architecture in China (Photo by Xueying Wu)
It has been said that Westerners go into churches for penance, while Chinese go into temples for bribes. Because most Chinese believe in religion for utilitarian reasons, such as the blessing of making more money or living longer. But different cultures have different elegance.
A recent report released by the Pew Research Centre, a leading US think tank, shows that China has the lowest percentage of religious beliefs in the world, with only 10% of adults identifying themselves as religious.
China is a melting pot of many religions and cultures, and the main religions practised there are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Christianity. However, Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in China, with more than 40 million followers, followed by Islam and Christianity.
The 2021 Census for England and Wales shows that Christianity (46%) is the largest religion in terms of the number of adherents, followed by Islam and Hinduism.
On the one hand, these religions have different cultural characteristics. For example, Buddhism stresses compassion and wisdom and focuses on meditation and chanting; Islam stresses the uniqueness of God and the equality of human beings and promotes a spirit of peace and tolerance; and Christianity focuses on the notion of God’s salvation and favour.
On the other hand, there are similarities between religious cultures, for example, Christianity and Buddhism emphasise the pursuit of inner peace and transcendence.
According to Ctrip, China’s leading online travel service company, the post-90s and post-00s have become the main force in booking temple attraction tickets since February 2023, accounting for nearly 50% of the total.
Traditionally, it is usually the middle-aged and the elderly who are keen to “go to the temple”. Chinese psychologist Kuo Zhang said:“In recent years, however, it has become increasingly common for young people to participate in incense-burning and Buddhist worship, leading to a boom in ‘temple tours’ and the formation of an emerging youth subculture phenomenon. This phenomenon is closer to a special form of expressing expectations and longings for life, and can be seen as a reinterpretation and application of traditional Chinese cultural elements by young people.”
“Chinese religion is expressed more in practice than in identity or belief.” —— Pew Research Centre Researcher Conard Hackett
However, there is a general trend towards an ageing religious community in the UK. “This is something that religious organisations need to think about – how to attract young people and cater for different age groups”, Kuo Zhang said. According to the 2021 Census of England and Wales published by the Office for National Statistics, the average age of people who currently identify as Christians is 51. Meanwhile, the average age of Muslims is the youngest at 27 years, followed by those with no religion at 32 years; Hindus and Sikhs both at 37 years; and Buddhists at 43 years.
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