Buddhism in Taiwan
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Buddhism is a major religion in Taiwan. Most Taiwanese practice a syncretic form of religion of which Buddhism is an integral part. A smaller percentage of Taiwanese practice more pure forms of Buddhism. Fo Guang Shan and Tzu Chi are two large Buddhist organisations based in Taiwan with branches around the world.
History
Buddhism was brought to Taiwan in the time of the Ming dynasty by settlers from Fukien and Kwangtung Provinces. It was discouraged by the Dutch colonial rulers who controlled Taiwan from 1624 until 1663, until Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga) drove the Dutch from Taiwan in 1663. His son Cheng Ching established the first Buddhist temple in Taiwan.
When the Qing dynasty took control of Taiwan by defeating of Cheng Ching's son, Ching Ning, in 1683, large numbers of monks came from Fukien and Kwangtung provinces to establish temples, and a number of different Buddhist sects flourished.
During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945), Buddhism was influenced by Japanese traditions. After the government of the Republic of China took over Taiwan following Japan's defeat in WWII, Chinese Buddhists reasserted their influence, organizing the Taiwan Buddhist Association in 1945 and ordaining 500 priests in 1952.
Recent growth
Statistics provided by the Interior Ministry show that Taiwan's Buddhist population grew from 800,000 in 1983 to 4.9 million in 1995, a 600 percent increase against an overall population rise of about twelve percent. Additionally, in the same period the number of registered Buddhist temples increased from 1,157 to 4,020, and the number of monks and nuns was up 9,300 monks and nuns, up from 3,470 in 1983.14<ref>Lin, Diana. "As Buddhism Grows, So Grows Its Impact," Free China Review, 9.</ref>.
In recent years, Tibetan Buddhism has greatly increased in popularity, with many Tibetan lamas visiting Taiwan on a regular basis.
Taiwan has also begun to provide considerable support to the revival of Buddhism in mainland China, reversing the centuries-old relationship.
See also
