How did China avoid wars of religion? Foreign and native faiths found ways to coexist
Different faiths have coexisted more or less peacefully throughout Chinese history, with foreign religions accepted and later on Sinicised
Earlier this month, I met several friends from Hong Kong in Chiang Mai over the long Mid-Autumn Festival weekend. The last time I visited this northern Thai city was more than 30 years ago in 1992.
It was a short holiday – we only had two full days – so we did not do much apart from having delicious meals and daily spa treatments, which is not a bad way to spend a weekend.
A visit to a Buddhist temple nestled in the woods had been scheduled, but the plan fell through, which is a shame because I have been told that the trail leading to Wat Pha Lat, and the temple itself, is beautiful.
“We’re Christians,” she said. “What are we doing visiting Buddhist temples?”
I know of many people who are similarly unwilling to enter the houses of worship of a religion different from their own. Interestingly, they tend to be adherents of certain dogmatic, monotheistic religions.