For different cultural, political and historical reasons, the Chinese government officially recognises Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism as religions. As in the realm of commerce, medicine, the legal profession or any other human endeavours, China, like many nations and for her own reasons have chosen, as it is her right, to lay down a legal and regulatory … [Read more...] about On China and Religion
Analysis
A Discussion On Religion in China
This is a continuation of the discussion from the June 14th 2008 blog entry "Chocolate City" - Africans seek their dreams in China", an article originally published in The Southern Metropolis Daily Jan 2008. Because of axes and grinding the discussion morphed from a debate about race relations in China to one about religions in China. As I have been invited to turn it into a … [Read more...] about A Discussion On Religion in China
Prices in the Mao era – a peasant's view
The vast majority of Chinese favor and support the "opening up and reform" period started in 1978. But many are also very nostalgic for the Mao era, a time when equality was guaranteed, a time when socialism in China was far more than just a hypothetical. One simple example is translated below. This article has been spread around numerous Chinese forums, actual origin not … [Read more...] about Prices in the Mao era – a peasant's view
Political unification and China’s Grand Union ideal
On this site, we've come back to the question of secession several times. The news a week ago that Ireland, with less than 1% of the EU's population, single-handedly derailed the second EU attempt at political centralization (Lisbon Treaty) strikes me as the perfect opportunity to talk about the flip side of the coin: the ideology of unification. Because let's face it, … [Read more...] about Political unification and China’s Grand Union ideal
Don't indulge our "race complex"
Many are now aware there are 56 different nationalities in China. There is another lesser known community, however, that sometimes refer to themselves as the 57th nationality. (Some in the community actually hate that term... but we'll get to that later.) These are the Minkaohan (民考汉), ethnic minorities raised in Han-language schools alongside Han classmates. The term … [Read more...] about Don't indulge our "race complex"