China: Tian Dao religion (also Yi Guan Dao, various spellings); information on two "leaders," Tsai Kong and Koun Yam; treatment of practitioners; whether it is regarded as a cult (1997-2000)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 8 May 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CHN34370.E |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: Tian Dao religion (also Yi Guan Dao, various spellings); information on two "leaders," Tsai Kong and Koun Yam; treatment of practitioners; whether it is regarded as a cult (1997-2000), 8 May 2000, CHN34370.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad483c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information regarding the Tian Dao religion (also Yi Guan Dao, various spellings) additional to that contained in CHN32887.E of 14 October 1999 is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. According to a researcher with Human Rights Watch who monitors religious freedoms in China (5 May 2000) and a professor of East Asian Religions at the University of Missouri at Columbia (5 May 2000), the Tian Dao exist clandestinely with no formal registration or status, making them vulnerable as an illegal organization. However, the researcher with Human Rights Watch was unaware of any recent crackdown on practitioners (ibid.).
According to the professor of East Asian Religions, the name Tsai Kong is likely intended to be the Cantonese version of Ji Gong - the name of the divine personality or avatar of the founder (patriarch) Zhang Tianran. Koun Yam may refer to Guanyin, a prominent figure in Chinese Buddhism, but the professor declined to speculate further without additional context (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Professor of East Asian Religions, University of Missouri, Columbia. 5 May 2000. Telephone interview and correspondence.
Researcher, Human Rights Watch, New York. 5 May 2000. Telephone interview.