Listen to this articleIf you are a foreigner who believes in religion and you come to China to study, then you will definitely be worried about whether Chinese universities will respect your religious beliefs, and whether you can carry out relevant religious activities in China, so today I’m going to tell you something about religion in Chinese universities.
First of all, we can be sure that Chinese universities respect all people’s religious beliefs, not to mention foreigners who come to China to study. China welcomes you very much, but respect is mutual. Foreigners also need to abide by some rules when they carry out relevant religious activities in China.
Regulations on religious activities in China
Foreigners can participate in religious activities in Temples, Palaces, Mosques, Churches, and other religious venues in China. Upon invitation from religious organizations at or above provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, foreigners can preach at religious venues in China.
Foreigners can hold religious activities in places recognized by the religious affairs departments of the people’s governments at or above the County Level; Foreigners in China may invite Chinese religious staff to hold such religious ceremonies as Baptism, Wedding, Funeral, and Dharma Assembly.
Foreigners conducting religious activities in China shall abide by Chinese laws and regulations. They shall not set up religious organizations, religious offices, places for religious activities, or religious institutions in China. They shall not develop believers, appoint religious staff or conduct other missionary activities among Chinese citizens.
Foreigners must not interfere with the establishment and change of Chinese religious social organizations and religious activity sites, must not interfere with the selection and change of religious staff by Chinese religious social organizations, and must not interfere with and dominate other internal affairs of Chinese religious social organizations.
Foreigners are not allowed to establish religious organizations, establish religious offices, establish religious activity venues, or open religious academies, or hold religious training courses in any name or form within China. Lectures, preaching, religious gatherings, and other activities are not allowed in non-religious venues. Religious articles such as religious books and periodicals, religious audio-visual products, and religious electronic publications are not allowed to be produced or sold, and religious propaganda materials are not allowed to be distributed.
Regulations on religious activities in China universities
The regulations of the management of institutions of higher education state that schools should adhere to the principle of separation of education and religion. Institutions of higher education shall respect the national customs and religious beliefs of international students, but shall not provide venues for religious activities. No religious activities such as missions and religious gatherings are allowed in the school. No organization or individual may conduct religious activities in schools.
Lectures and reports shall not object to the fundamental system established by China’s constitution, shall not violate China’s educational policies, shall not publicize feudal superstition, shall not carry out religious activities, and shall not interfere with the order of teaching, scientific research and life in schools.
As can be seen from the above, Chinese universities respect religious beliefs but do not allow religious-related activities to be held in schools, because Chinese university campuses are places of study. So if you want to participate in religious-related activities, you can go to Mosques, Churches, and other places off-campus, instead of on the university campus. Regarding special religious holidays, Chinese universities also do not have those holidays. The only holidays in China are national statutory holidays, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and so on. Of course, if you meet classmates with the same faith in the university, then you can gather and talk on campus. As long as you don’t hold large-scale events, don’t influence others, and don’t spread it in school, that’s okay.
Famous Mosques and Churches in China
1. Yangzhou Crane Mosque
Crane Mosque, also known as Qingbai Liufang Mosque, is located on Nanmen Street, Yangzhou, Jiangsu. It was founded during the Xianchun period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1265-1274). It is said that it was founded by puhadin, a grandson of Muhammad XVI. It was rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and there are still relics of Islamic culture in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
2. Guangzhou Huaisheng Mosque
It is located at No. 56 Guangta Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China, it is the earliest surviving mosque in China. It was announced by the State Council in 1996 as one of the fourth batches of national key cultural relics protection units. It was built in the Wude reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, Huaisheng temple covers a total area of 1553 square meters. The overall building is in the typical Arabic architectural style. The temple has a priest’s room, a scripture room, a worship hall, and a water room for baptism.
3. Quanzhou Qingjing Mosque
Quanzhou Qingjing Mosque located in the middle section of Tumen Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou, is one of the first batches of national key cultural relics protection units announced by the State Council. It is the earliest and oldest surviving Islamic temple with Arabic architectural style in our country. The Qingjing Temple was built in the form of an Islamic chapel in Damascus, Syria. The main existing buildings include the gate tower, the Temple of Heaven and Mingshan Hall. The gate faces south, 12.3 meters high, 6.60 meters wide, and 3.80 meters wide. It is built with diabase slabs and has three layers: outer, middle and inner.
4. Hangzhou Phoenix Mosque
Phoenix Mosque, also known as Zhenjiao Mosque, is located in Zhongshan Middle Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It is named Phoenix Temple because its architectural structure is like phoenix spreading wings. Covering an area of 2600 square meters, the building area is about 1370 square meters, the area of the chapel is about 570 square meters. There are water rooms and mortuary building area rooms and other ancillary facilities in the temple. It is the main place for Islamic religious festivals and the worship center of Islam in Hangzhou.
5. Xujiahui Catholic Church
Xujiahui Catholic Church is a famous Catholic church in China. It is located at No.158 Puxi Road, Xujiahui, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China. It is the Catholic Cathedral of the Shanghai Diocese. The official name is “St. Ignatius Church”. There is the Catholic Bishop of Shanghai on the side of the church. The house, the nun’s house, the architectural style is medieval Gothic.
6. St. Sophia Cathedral
In 1903, with the opening of the Middle East Railway, the Russians transferred a division of men and horses as the guards of the railway, and in 1907 built a wooden chapel—St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin.
7. St.Michael’s Cathedral, Qingdao
St.Michael’s Cathedral, Qingdao, was designed by the German designer Billouha based on the Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles. The proposed church should be one hundred meters high. It coincided with the outbreak of World War II. Hitler strictly prohibited the outflow of the German capital. The church had to modify the drawings to be built on its current scale. The church was built in 1932 and completed in 1934. The tower is 56 meters tall and is the tallest building in Shandong Province before the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It is the only ordination church in China.
8. Shishi Sacred Heart Cathedral
The most magnificent cathedral in the Catholic Diocese of Guangzhou. In 1861, Prince Gong Yi Xin and the French Government Inspection Agency confirmed the establishment of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Guangzhou by an additional agreement. Emperor Xianfeng issued an order to approve the agreement. The church was built in 1863 and completed in 1888. It took 25 years to build and has a history of more than 130 years. Because all the walls and pillars of the church are made of granite stone, it is also called “Stone Chamber”, “Stone Chamber of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”, “Stone Chamber of Catholic Church”. It is 58.5 meters high from the ground to the spire. It is one of the most magnificent twin-spired Gothic buildings in China, the largest stone-structure Catholic building in Southeast Asia, and one of the four all-stone-structure Gothic church buildings in the world. It cost 400,000 yuan at that time. Franc, the French imitated Saint Clotilde in Paris and integrated Chinese elements to design it is known as the Notre Dame de Paris in the East.
9. Jinan Honglou Cathedral
It located next to the old school of Shandong University, Honglou Catholic Church is a classic combination of Gothic architecture and traditional Jinan style. It was designed by the Austrian monk Pang Huixiang. Construction started in 1901 and was completed in 1904. In 1906, Honglou Catholic Church was expanded. It is a Gothic building, and the enlarged church covers an area of 1,625 square meters, which can accommodate a thousand people for dispersion, which is very spectacular. Before the completion of Saint Niel, Honglou Church was the largest church in North China. The church is tall and magnificent, the plan is a Latin cross, and the facade is a typical Gothic architectural style.
