Cults, religions, traditions in China

The book of Leonid Vasiliev is addressed to those who want to better know and understand China and Chinese. It tells in detail how the oldest cults, beliefs and rites of China were formed, how Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism arose, how the synthetic religion gradually developed, combining the elements of all three teachings, and how all this created traditions that largely determined the Chinese national character. This is a story about how a tradition that has absorbed the experience of dozens of generations has become a way of life, which is based on worship of ancestors, respect for elders, love for children, reverence for learning, determination, responsibility and hard work. And also about how the Chinese manage to maintain the continuity of their civilization for three thousand years and turn foreign influences to their benefit, without acting on their own interests.
Leonid Vasiliev (1930) - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences