Daoism is key to understand China - Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson

Daoism is key to understand today's China, says journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao. to ABC News. "You can provide values, an escape for people, or turn inward to piety, but you cannot challenge the Government. You can't be an alternative source of values or the Government will turn against you."

ABC News:

Author and journalist Ian Johnson has been investigating the revival of Chinese folk religions like Daoism for the past two decades, and he says to understand Daoism is fundamental to understanding China. "It's the DNA of Chinese culture, it includes the ideas like calligraphy, Chinese medicine, things like Feng Shui — all of these things come out of Daoist ideas," he said... 

Mr Johnson says there is much more suspicion of Western religions. 

"You can provide values, an escape for people, or turn inward to piety, but you cannot challenge the Government. You can't be an alternative source of values or the Government will turn against you." The Government is watching the growth of Daoism carefully. It wants to ensure it does not turn into another Falun Gong type movement that could threaten the Government and lead to another brutal crackdown like that which happened two decades ago.

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