| Heaven Worship |
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| This is the oldest form of Chinese religion. It was inscripted on oracle bones and inside bronze sacrificial vessels. (Zhou Dynasty, 1000 BC). The Head of the State (Emperor) conducted the Heaven Worship service on the first day of the year every year. This concept is deeply rooted in the hearts of Chinese. |
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| Ancestor Worship |
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| This is the most important form of Chinese religion. It is widely practiced across the entire society. The rituals concerning ancestor worship are very complicated and have to be followed precisely. Although it has been simplified in modern time, it will never fade away from the Chinese community. |
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| Buddhism |
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 This is the most popular form of Chinese religion. Since its introduction in AD 400, Buddhism has slipped into and occupies every aspect of the Chinese lifestyle. It brought into the Chinese worldview the concepts of attaining buddha-hood, the wheel of life, punishment and hell as well as the depiction of Western paradise. Along with its abundant icons and images, Buddhism came to China with mysticism, awfulness, fascination and overpoweringness for its Chinese believers. ( Rudolf Otto: The Idea of the Holy ) After synthesizing with many teachings and concepts of Confucianism and Daoism, the branch of Mahayana Buddhism found its home in China. |
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| Daoism as Religion |
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| There are not many devoted Dao followers, but its concepts are very popular among intellectuals. One of the three religious relationships, that between men and nature, comes from the naturalistic doctrine of Daoism. Daoism provides a very clear and concrete picture of the afterlife. Thus its rituals are often used in burial. |
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| Literati Tradition
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 The core of this tradition is Confucianism. Confucianism is a philosophy rather than a religion. Since Confucianism dominated the Chinese ruling class as well as intellectuals as early as the Han Dynasty, its concepts and teachings have influenced Chinese society for the last two thousand years. Confucius' teaching of human relationships has also become the foundation of one of the three religious relationships: man and others.
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| Principle of Reciprocity |
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| In Chinese worship, the sacrifices offered were accompanied often by petitions addressed to the divine figure specifying what was desired in return. If a petition was answered favorably, the grateful devotee would generously pay the temple where the deity resided. Otherwise, a new deity would be chosen and the old one abandoned. |
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| Hierarchical Structure |
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 As it is necessary to have a very complicated and highly structured hierarchical government to run a state in this world, the Chinese believe that the same structure must exist in the spiritual world as well. It then becomes obvious that the spiritual power that each deity or god possesses varies according to both rank and seniority. And they all have specific job descriptions and responsibilities. The members of rank and file of this spirtual hierarchy also include one's ancestors, folk heroes and heroines, and famous people in history. It is common for a devotee to worship or pray to a particular deity or god according to the type and degree of his/her needs. |
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