Chinese folk religion in Southeast Asia
[2] However, numbers may be significantly larger since many folk religious Chinese register as "Buddhists" for census purposes.
Chinese Indonesians had their culture and religious rights restored only after the fourth president of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, issued a regulation that recognised "Confucianism" among the legal religions of the country.
The Heaven possess the characteristic of Yuan Heng Li Zhen, or Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omnibenevolent, Just.
Legge 1893:214)Another movement in Indonesia is the Tridharma (Sanskrit: "law of the three"), syncretising elements of different religions, the Chinese three teachings amongst others.
In Malaysia the Malaysian Chinese constitute a large segment of the population, mostly adherents of Mahayana Buddhism.
The Chinese traditional religion has a relatively significant registered following in the states of Sarawak (6%) and Penang (5%).
The Chinese migration during the tin and gold mining days, which were a result of high demand for these products, prompted the need for temples for practices and religious rituals.
[7] Clan organisations in the Chinese immigrant society were important, where surnames, dialect, locality and trade mattered.
During the festive season, devotees will abstain from meat, and mortification of the flesh by Chinese mediums is also commonly seen, along with rites devoted to the worship of Tua Pek Kong.
Other deities that are venerated and frequently kept at home as auspicious images include the Fu, Lu, and Shou.
One interesting example is Qing Shui Zhu Shi (祖師公); this particular deity is mainly worshipped by the Hokkien, particularly from Anxi County.
Deities from other ethnicities such as Phra Phrom, Na Tuk Kong (拿督公) or Datuk Keramat are also venerated.
Adherents of Taoism or Chinese Folk Religion usually place their main altars/shrines inside their living room.
The smoke emitted from burning incense sticks symbolizes their devotion and prayer, and at times requests to the Gods/Deities.
Buddhist and Taoist temples can be found where Chinese Filipinos live, especially in urban areas like Metro Manila.
[16] Chinese Filipinos have also established indigenous religious denominations like Bell Church (钟教), which is a syncretic religion with an ecumenical and interfaith orientation.
Chinese Filipinos, especially the older generations, have a tendency to pay respects to their deceased ancestors at least once a year, by going to the temple, the local Chinese cemetery or traditional burial grounds, such as the Manila Chinese Cemetery for those in Metro Manila, often burning candles, incense and joss paper money, presenting offerings like certain fruits or fruit juice tetra packs to the deceased, and decorating the tombstones, mausoleums, and ancestral tablets with joss paper.
Chinese Filipino mausoleums or burial grounds frequently have altars for Houtu (后土), where candles and incense are lit.
Items for Chinese religious practices in Southeast Asia are supplied at shén liào shāngdiàn (神料商店 "shops of goods for the gods").
