Chinese folk religion

===Attributes===
Contemporary Chinese scholars have identified what they find to be the essential features of the ancient (or indigenous—ethnic) religion of China. According to Chen Xiaoyi ({{lang-zh|t=陳曉毅}}) local [[indigenous religion]] is the crucial factor for a harmonious "religious ecology" ({{lang-zh|t=宗教生態}}), that is the balance of forces in a given community.{{sfnb|Clart|2014|p=405}} Professor Han Bingfang ({{lang-zh|t=韓秉芳}}) has called for a [[rectification of names|rectification of distorted names]] ({{lang-zh|t=正名}}). Distorted names are "superstitious activities" ({{lang-zh|t=迷信活動|p=míxìn huódòng}}) or "feudal superstition" ({{lang-zh|t=封建迷信|p=fēngjiàn míxìn}}), that were derogatorily applied to the indigenous religion by leftist policies. Christian missionaries also used the propaganda label "feudal superstition" in order to undermine their religious competitor.{{sfnb|Clart|2014|p=408}} Han calls for the acknowledgment of the ancient Chinese religion for what it really is, the "core and soul of popular culture" ({{lang-zh|俗文化的核心與靈魂|p=sú wénhuà de héxīn yǔ línghún}}).{{sfnb|Clart|2014|p=407}}

According to Chen Jinguo ({{lang-zh|t=陳進國}}), the ancient Chinese religion is a core element of Chinese cultural and religious self-awareness ({{lang-zh|t=文化自覺, 信仰自覺|p=wénhuà zìjué, xìnyǎng zìjué}}).{{sfnb|Clart|2014|p=408}} He has proposed a theoretical definition of Chinese indigenous religion in a trinity ({{lang-zh|t=三位一體|p=sānwèiyītǐ}}), apparently inspired to [[Tang Junyi]]'s thought:{{sfnb|Clart|2014|pp=408-409}}
* substance ({{lang-zh|t=體|p=tǐ}}): religiousness ({{lang-zh|t=宗教性|p=zōngjiào xìng}});
* function ({{lang-zh|t=用|p=yòng}}): folkloricity ({{lang-zh|t=民俗性|p=mínsú xìng}});
* quality ({{lang-zh|t=相|p=xiàng}}): Chineseness ({{lang-zh|t=中華性|p=zhōnghuá xìng}}).