Bringing a Bible to China for personal, private use is legal, but you must adhere to strict regulations. Foreigners are generally allowed to bring in a few copies (often cited as up to three) for personal use, but they must not be distributed. Bibles cannot be sold in regular stores, as they lack an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and are only available at government-sanctioned churches.
The main version in use among Protestants in China remains the Chinese Union Version (CUV). The China Christian Council approved a revision of the CUV in 2003, and the revised CUV New Testament was published by the state owned Amity Press in Nanjing in 2006, and the full Bible in 2010.
The following items are prohibited from entering China: arms, ammunition, and explosives of all kinds; counterfeit currencies and counterfeit negotiable securities; printed matter, magnetic media, films, or photographs which are deemed to be detrimental to the political, economic, cultural and moral interests of China; ...
Chinese people over the age of 18 are only allowed to join Christian groups that are registered with one of three state-controlled bodies, either the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the China Christian Council, or the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
Book types that are typically banned are as follows: Books about Chinese modern politics, biographies of former leaders. Books about the lives of or allegations concerning current leaders - these are particularly sensitive topics.
National surveys conducted during the early 21st century estimated that an estimated 80% of the Chinese population practice some form of folk religion, for a total of over 1 billion people. 13–16% of the population are Buddhists, 10% are Taoists; 2.53% are Christians, and 0.83% are Muslims.
All religious events involving foreign nationals (including but not limited to participation, preaching, exchanges, religious ceremonies, organising religious activities, missionary work, etc.) must be approved by relevant authorities, otherwise, they are considered illegal. 2.
The government recognizes five official religions – Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. Regulations require religious organizations to register with the government.
Chinese citizens do not have access to Google services using standard local networks within mainland China, as Google is completely blocked.
You may wish to pack religious items in carry-on baggage in a container that can be separated from other belongings and placed by itself in a bin for X-ray screening. We recommend using a clear plastic container or bag or easily opened to remove religious items for screening.
When traveling to China, avoid bringing weapons, drugs, counterfeit items, and certain foods (like fresh meat/dairy); politically sensitive or explicit media; and large amounts of cash or certain medications without prescriptions, as these can be confiscated or cause legal issues, while practical items like thin socks, cheap electronics, and lots of white clothes are generally unnecessary due to local availability and environmental factors.
It is still not illegal to own a Bible in China. Since the Bible does not have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number), it cannot be sold or distributed within China in bookstores or other commercial markets.
In many Muslim states, such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, access to the bible, especially in the official language of a nation, can result in punishment. Distributing Bibles with the intent to convert Muslims to Christianity is illegal in many of these nations.
At least 100 million people—nearly one-third of estimated believers in China—belong to religious groups facing “high” or “very high” levels of persecution (Protestant Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, and Falun Gong).
China has two officially tolerated churches, the Catholic Patriotic Association (circa 10m) and the Protestant Three Self Patriotic Movement (circa 25m), but the majority worship in Protestant “house churches” and live in a legal limbo – they are illegal though the state tolerates them, but pressures them to register ...
While China's constitution allows religious belief, Chinese Buddhism, Daoism, and folk practices are shown more leniency than other religions, such as Islam and Christianity, which are regarded as “foreign” by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Although the use of "Tian" to refer to the absolute God of the universe is predominant in Chinese religion today, "Shangdi" continues to be used in a variety of traditions, including certain philosophical schools, certain strains of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, some Chinese salvationist religions (notably ...
Why do you see 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page of many books? that tells you it is the fourth printing. It is very common for a publisher to print only a few thousand copies of the book in the first printing.
Most Commonly Banned Books