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General
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| Religion
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Various belief
systems and philosophy thoughts have influenced the diversity of Chinese
religions. The belief systems refer to all religions that were brought
into China from foreign countries, which include Buddhism from India,
Islam from Arabia, and Christianity from Europe and America. On the other
hand, philosophy thoughts refer to the teachings of philosophers such
as Laozi who founded Taoism and Confucius who founded Confucianism. Although
the latter is more a teaching of philosophies than a religion, it has
somehow been intertwined with Chinese religious beliefs. Taoism is the
only religion accepted by many as the true ‘home-grown’ Chinese faith.
At present, the main religions and beliefs in China are Taoism, Confucianism,
Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
The
Chinese Horoscope
Like the
western system of astrology, there are 12 zodiac signs. However, unlike
the western system, these signs are represented by 12 animals. The main
difference between the two is that the western system is based on the
month while the Chinese’s is based on the year. The exact origins of the
12 animals’ system remain unknown. But one myth states that the Lord Buddha
had summoned all the animals to him before his departure from earth. Only
12 animals responded and they were the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon,
snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. To honor these animals,
the Lord Buddha then named a year after each in the order of their arrival.
Dating from
2637 BC, the Chinese horoscope is the longest chronological record in
history. A chart of the 12 animals and its corresponding years can be
found below:
| Rat |
1924 |
1936 |
1948 |
1960 |
1972 |
1984 |
1996 |
| Ox |
1925 |
1937 |
1949 |
1961 |
1973 |
1985 |
1997 |
| Tiger |
1926 |
1938 |
1950 |
1962 |
1974 |
1986 |
1998 |
| Rabbit |
1927 |
1939 |
1951 |
1963 |
1975 |
1987 |
1999 |
| Dragon |
1928 |
1940 |
1952 |
1964 |
1976 |
1988 |
2000 |
| Snake |
1929 |
1941 |
1953 |
1965 |
1977 |
1989 |
2001 |
| Horse |
1930 |
1942 |
1954 |
1966 |
1978 |
1990 |
2002 |
| Goat |
1931 |
1943 |
1955 |
1967 |
1979 |
1991 |
2003 |
| Monkey |
1932 |
1944 |
1956 |
1968 |
1980 |
1992 |
2004 |
| Rooster |
1933 |
1945 |
1957 |
1969 |
1981 |
1993 |
2005 |
| Dog |
1934 |
1946 |
1958 |
1970 |
1982 |
1994 |
2006 |
| Pig |
1935 |
1947 |
1959 |
1971 |
1983 |
1995 |
2007 |
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