Taoist master Ding Changyun leads a Taoist temple surrounded by high-rise apartments and office towers in metropolitan Shanghai. Along with daily meditation and taking care of the routine administrative work of his temple, Mr Ding, 40, has studied for an MBA and is a vice-president of the semi-official China Taoists Association.
Q: It seems that your Taoist temple is attended by many people. Do you think China's modern society needs religion?
In our country it was once a common misbelief that when a society gets richer, fewer people would turn to religions. But some 20 years ago, when we visited Hong Kong and Taiwan, we found it was not the situation we imagined. We saw more fervent believers. Actually, now more people visit the temple and burn incense than at any other time since it was reopened to the public two decades ago.
I think it is basically a good thing. As the society and its people become wealthier, people have the money and impetus to pray for better lives. It is good for a society if people at least believe in something. The most terrible thing for a modern society is when people stop believing in anything. One who has nothing to believe in has nothing to fear.
So what kind of people come now?
Nowadays believers are better educated and on the higher level of the social hierarchy. Many young people come to pray. We see large groups of secondary-school students come to pray before their college entrance examinations. We see university students and professors as well.
You are a Taoist educator yourself, and you are a religious leader. How do you handle your different roles?