Traditional Religion in China

These elements are so ingrained in the culture that every time a baby is born, depending on the month, day and time, the baby is considered to be born under a certain element, and traditionally parents gave their child a name that would balance out the element that he/she was born under.

Why does the community have this tradition?:

The community has this tradition mainly because it is a belief system that is widely accepted in Chinese society. Based on what I have heard from locals, most people these days, especially in the cities, are atheist. However, many of the temples still have lots of tourists visit and are preserved because of their great architecture and art.

Much of the art is also connected to the cultural identity of the people, so even though many younger people now do not have strong religious beliefs, they still feel a connection with the past.

Is this tradition connected to its environment? How?:

The tradition is connected to the environment because much of traditional Chinese belief is related to explaining the natural world. There is an old saying of the ancients “天人合一“, tian ren he yi, which means nature and man as one. Many aspects of folklore have different natural components and animals included as symbolic elements. For example, in many Buddhist art sculptures, animals such as oxen and elephants are used. Although elephants are no longer found in the wilds of China, they are still a representation of good fortune pertaining to traditional Chinese culture.

Location:
Nanjing, China

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