Our answer
Widely believed, rarely joined 信佛的人多
Few people formally identify as Buddhist; many more believe in Buddha or bodhisattvas
The short answer
Buddhism reached China from India in the Han dynasty, most likely in the 1st century CE, and grew into Chinese schools such as Chan and Pure Land. Today only about 4% of Chinese adults identify as Buddhist, but a third believe in Buddha or bodhisattvas such as Guanyin, and 35% burn incense to them at least yearly.
| In Chinese | 佛教 (fójiào); Buddha 佛 (fó) |
|---|---|
| Arrived | Han dynasty, most likely 1st century CE, from India |
| Identify as Buddhist | About 4% of adults, some 42 million people (CGSS 2018) |
| Believe in Buddha or bodhisattvas | 33% of adults (CFPS 2018) |
| Temples | At least 192,000 temples honour Buddhist deities at least in part (Pew estimate) |
| Chinese schools | Chan (Zen), Pure Land, Tiantai, Huayan |
| Most loved figure | Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion |
How Buddhism came to China
Key moments, as historians date them. Some early stories are traditions rather than recorded history.[2][3]
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1st century CE | Buddhism reaches Han dynasty China, most likely through missionaries from India and Central Asia. Whether it came overland on the Silk Road or by sea is still debated. |
| 68 CE (by tradition) | Emperor Ming dreams of a flying golden figure and sends envoys west; they return with monks and scriptures on white horses, and the White Horse Temple in Luoyang is founded. Many scholars treat this as legend. |
| 148 CE | An Shigao, a Parthian prince turned monk, makes the first documented translations of Buddhist texts into Chinese. |
| 402–413 CE | Kumārajīva produces translations that become the standard for later translators. |
| 629–645 CE | The monk Xuanzang travels to India and back, bringing about 657 Sanskrit texts; he is credited with translating about 1,330 fascicles. |
| 868 CE | A copy of the Diamond Sūtra printed from wooden blocks is the first dated example of block printing. |
| Tang dynasty and after | Distinctively Chinese schools take shape: Pure Land, Tiantai, Huayan and Chan. |
Buddhism in China today
Ask Chinese people their religion and most will say they have none: only 10% of adults identified with any religion in the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey, and 4%, about 42 million people, with Buddhism. But belief and practice go much wider. A third of adults believe in Buddha and/or bodhisattvas, and half of those believe in other deities too. About 35% burn incense to Buddha or other deities at least once a year, and 11% at least once a month.
That mix is the point. Many people pray to Buddhist figures within folk religion: Guanyin, for example, is worshipped both as a bodhisattva and as a folk goddess. And the temples are everywhere: Pew Research Center estimates there are at least 192,000 temples in China dedicated at least partly to Buddhist deities. Most Chinese Buddhists follow Han Chinese Buddhism, the tradition this guide covers.[1][4]
Buddhism and Taoism: what is the difference?
Chinese temples, festivals and folk beliefs often mix the two, but they started from different places.[2][5][6]
| Buddhism (佛教) | Taoism (道教) | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Founded by the Buddha, who lived in ancient northern India; reached China through missionaries in the Han dynasty | Native to China; traditionally linked to Laozi and the Tao Te Ching |
| Main figures | Buddhas, bodhisattvas such as Guanyin, arhats | Deities such as the Three Pure Ones, and immortals (xian) |
| Clergy | Monks and nuns | Taoist priests (daoshi) |
| How they mixed | Chinese Buddhism developed partly in dialogue with Taoist thought | Taoism took in Buddhist ideas of karma and rebirth, and copied Buddhist monasticism |
Our guides to Buddhism in China
- Guanyin: the bodhisattva of compassion, China’s best-loved Buddhist figure.
- The Laughing Buddha: Budai, the big-bellied monk identified with Maitreya.
- Buddhist gods and bodhisattvas: who is who in a Chinese temple hall, from Amitabha to the Four Heavenly Kings.
- Chinese temples: how a temple is laid out, how to visit, and the famous ones.
- Pagodas: what they are and the great pagodas of China.
- Monks, nuns and Buddhist food: daily life, Dharma names, prayer beads and temple vegetarian food.
- Shaolin Temple: Chan Buddhism, Bodhidharma and kung fu.
- Sacred mountains, grottoes and giant Buddhas: Emei, Wutai, Putuo, Jiuhua, Mogao, Longmen and Leshan.
Questions readers ask
How did Buddhism spread to China?
It most likely arrived in the 1st century CE, during the Han dynasty, brought by missionaries from India and Central Asia. Scholars still debate whether it came overland along the Silk Road or by sea. Translators such as An Shigao (148 CE) and Kumārajīva (402–413) then made its texts available in Chinese.
Who brought Buddhism to China?
No single person. Tradition says Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty sent envoys west after a dream, and they returned with two Indian monks and scriptures on white horses, founding the White Horse Temple in 68 CE. Historians treat this as legend; the first documented translator was the Parthian monk An Shigao, from 148 CE.
How many Buddhists are there in China?
It depends on the measure. About 4% of Chinese adults, roughly 42 million people, identify as Buddhist (2018 Chinese General Social Survey). But 33%, about 362 million, believe in Buddha and/or bodhisattvas (2018 China Family Panel Studies), many of them alongside other deities.
What is Chinese Buddhism?
The Mahayana Buddhism that took shape in China from the Han to the Tang dynasties, in Chinese schools such as Chan, Pure Land, Tiantai and Huayan. Its best-loved figures include Guanyin, Amitabha and the Laughing Buddha, and most Buddhists in China today follow this Han Chinese tradition.
What is the difference between Buddhism and Taoism?
Buddhism was founded by the Buddha in ancient India and came to China in the Han dynasty; Taoism is native to China, traditionally traced to Laozi, and centres on harmony with the Tao and long life. The two have borrowed from each other for centuries: Taoism took in the Buddhist ideas of karma and rebirth, and many temples and families honour figures from both.
Is Buddha Chinese?
No. The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, lived in ancient northern India, probably in the 5th or 4th century BCE; he was born at Lumbini, now in Nepal. But Chinese Buddhism created figures of its own, such as the big-bellied [Laughing Buddha](/culture/buddhism-in-china/laughing-buddha), based on a Chinese monk called Budai.
Is Buddhism popular in China?
As belief and custom, yes: a third of adults believe in Buddha or bodhisattvas, about 35% burn incense to Buddha or other deities each year, and at least 192,000 temples honour Buddhist deities. As a formal religion people sign up to, much less so: about 4% of adults identify as Buddhist.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Measuring Religion in China: Buddhism (30 August 2023) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, History of Chinese Buddhism · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, White Horse Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Pew Research Center, 6 facts about Buddhism in China (21 September 2023) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Taoism · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Buddha (founder of Buddhism) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction