Short note on Zoroastrianism in CHINA
Short note on Zoroastrianism in CHINA
I am on my second field research to China The following short article may be interest to the readers.
The Arab conquest of Iran resulted in large numbers of Zoroastrians moving towards China. Many Chinese scholars who are working with me have written that this may be around a million. They were warmly received by the Tang government. As a result Zoroastrian temples were established in the cities of Changan and Luoyang as well in Quizhou and Xizhou.
Chinese scholar Chen Yuan identified the first Zoroastrian temple built in China in the south-western part of the Buzeng-feng district of Changhan
Lin Wushu another Chinese scholar established that Zoroastrianism was propagated within Chinese society as there is nothing in the scriptures that prevents it from propagating, See his article Persian Fire Worship in Ancient China, Taipe, 1995. This needs revision of general held opinion. Zoroastrianism remained in China and included many Chinese converts as established by several Chinese scholars. Chen Yuan concluded after examining its spreading in the Tang dynasty, that the impact of Zoroastrianism was extensive.
Best wishes,
Dr. Pallan Ichaporia – From Dunhuang, China
I have always been facinated by the posibility of Zoroastrianism in China
Dr. Ichaporia, thank you for sharing this and wishing you the every best
Do keep us updated on your findings!
hi I am a zoratrian live in Iran. I am reserching for zorastrain lives in china at this time. Is there any Zorastrain in china? and what about the temples?
thank you
Thank you Aban.More willbe publishd. The research article is running into 240 pages. May be pblished in new book pu.
Pallan
I am zoroastrian and want to know is there any way to comonicate with zoroastrian in china?
Thank you again for the update! Very interesting indeed!
any links to the tribe called the ‘Muhu’ in China….
Also since the zoroastrians and zoroastrian persia after being plundered by the 2 faiths i.e christianity and then islam both of them after thirsting to delink persia from zoroastrianism and convert it into their own…. promoting their faiths using the goodwill that the zoroastrians enjoyed by masquerading as persians as they were the new occupants of persia…The strategies used by the byzantines in persia of converting others to their faith and mischief created now employed in other lands including china..thus troubling the indegenious people of distant lands including India and China….and the part of chinese history wherein they put to end the problem of missonaries once and for all by ethnical cleaning their lands of all foreigners..which took toll on the zoroastrians who had taken refuge there.
We know that japan had banned all christians in japan in the 1500s as they after letting them freely practise their faith in Japan, turned against the Japanese faith and culture…
we also know of the vietnamese history where in buddhist monks set them self on fire as in their buddhist country, it became difficult to fly busshist flags but one could and was promoted to fly the vatican’s flag…the same strategies used there as used in zoroastrian persia..
Your article makes fascinating reading. Was always curious to know about those that went to China to escape religious persecution.