Buddhism in China

Buddhism in China
	71-metre tall Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Sichuan, China
Total population
	c. 42 million or 4% formally affiliated (Pew Research Center 2023)
Regions with significant populations
	Throughout China
Religions
	Buddhism (mostly East Asian Mahayana)
Languages
	Chinese and other languages

Buddhism in China refers to Buddhism that has been developed and practiced in China, based on the geographical location and administrative region instead of a particular Buddhist branch. Buddhism is the largest officially recognized religion in China. There are three main branches of Buddhism in China: Han or Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism.^[2] There is no definitive answer to the time when Buddhism was first introduced to China, but it is generally believed that this occurred around the time of the Han dynasty.

^ Cite error: The named reference religion2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Buddhism". 30 August 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.

[religion2023-1] Cite error: The named reference religion2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[ChinaBuddhism-2] "Buddhism". 30 August 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.

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[2]

Total population
71-metre tall Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Sichuan, China
c. 42 million or 4% formally affiliated (Pew Research Center 2023)^[1]
Regions with significant populations
Throughout China
Religions
Buddhism (mostly East Asian Mahayana)
Languages
Chinese and other languages