Religion

I am surprised to be writing this, but I am missing living in a country with religion. I know there are Buddhists and Christians and Muslims in China.  But religion was formally eliminated in 1949 I believe, so the usual outward signs of religion are less obvious here than in other countries.  Also, Shenzhen is a new city created only in the 1970s by Deng Xioping as a new open economic zone, so there are not historical monuments here to past religions, as there are in other parts of China.  I feel this lack. I am not religious myself in any formal way, so I did not realize how much I benefited from or enjoyed religion around me.  I think I like seeing other people's histories or traditions or ceremonies that come with religion. I think I like the stories that make sense of things, or the links to other countries with those religions.

In the UAE, Islam is very prominent.  Mosques are everywhere, people dress to reflect their religion, people pray regularly, the religious holidays are observed by all.  Religion impacts the food people eat, the language they use ("peace be upon you" is the way to greet someone), how they see the world.  I enjoyed learning about this and seeing other people's firm and committed beliefs.  

Throughout the Christian west, churches structure the landscape and Christianity permeates the culture even if it is becoming more secular.  It is in the air you breathe.  In Guangzhou, an hour away, former Canton, there are temples and mosques due to its history.  In Macau, a former Portuguese colony near Hong Kong, and now part of China, there are many churches and it feels a bit like Portugal.  In places like Sri Lanka or India, we saw Buddism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity around us.

Here in Shenzhen, I feel that lack.  I know there are many traditions that involve families (Qing Ming - Tomb sweeping day, Spring Festival or Chinese New Year), and food, and history.  And probably religion somehow.  But this seems to happen only a couple times a year - not daily. I admit that I don't get the chance to see China as part of a Chinese family and I know that I know very little. Perhaps as I know more I will understand more about their beliefs. And I know that in other cities there would be more evidence of past and present religion.  But I don't see the evidence of religion around me - for obvious political reasons - and I think it's too bad.

Religion and history and culture and food and stories and beliefs and language all go together.  And they are an interesting part of living somewhere.  Shenzhen has some of it, but maybe not as much as I would like.