His Philosophy
Confucius' philosophy directed that if the correct hierarchy was in place and individuals treated and respected one another according to this structure, then life would be harmonious. At the top of the scale was the emperor, moving down through scholars and officials, peasants, merchants, craftsmen, soldiers, slaves and, at the bottom of the ladder, the underclasses, which included beggars and prostitutes. He placed major importance on an appropriate obedience and sense of duty within these relationships, particularly between subjects and their emperor, a wife and her husband, children and their parents and younger and older brothers. His belief was that only between friends should there be equality. Respect was based on the five Confucian virtues of benevolence, propriety, righteousness, trustworthiness and wisdom. Confucius didn't advocate ancestor worship, but the emphasis on respecting one's family elders has helped to maintain its importance in Chinese culture.
Confucianism as a Religion
Confucius didn't see his dictates as religious and it wasn't until after he died that he became something of a deity, with temples around the country dedicated to him. Religion aside, his impact on the Chinese bureaucracy is evident in the fact that his teachings formed the basis of civil service examinations until the early 20th century. Though shunned during the early years of communism and the Cultural Revolution, Confucian values remain in some senses and worship has re-emerged in recent times. For proof of this, look no further than Qufu, a town devoted to Confucius, where you'll find hordes of visitors exploring a mansion complex that almost rivals the Forbidden City and a vast forest containing the graves of the entire Confucian clan (which numbers in the thousands). While often rebuffed during his lifetime, and intermittently purged through history, Confucius' theories have influenced and affected the course of Chinese thinking for over two thousand years.
Taoism
Taoism is China's only native religion (since Confucianism isn't a religion as such), and was developed by the semi-mythical figure, Lao Zi, who is traditionally held to have lived in the sixth century BC. Lao Zi (Old Boy) is also credited with writing Taoism's elemental work, the Tao Te Jing (The Classic of the Way and Power), though this was probably compiled some time after his death and is thought to be more of a collaboration than a book by a sole author. Zhuang Zi was another great proponent of Taoism, who supposedly lived in the fourth century BC, rejecting rank and luxury for a humble life of reflection. His book of parables, The Zhuang Zi, is Taoism's second great text.
Though Taoism began as a religion without deities, over time it acquired a plethora of them, most notably the Eight Immortals. It also attracted imperial patronage and established a formalized priesthood. Taoism was soon an all-encompassing religion, its flowing energy nestled somehow next to the rigidity of Confucianism. But with increasing popularity came dilution and the quest for immortality became the primary goal for some Taoists, leading purists to separate themselves from the mainstream.
Taoist Beliefs
Taoism's beliefs are difficult to express succinctly, but are based on trying to attain harmony within the natural world, balancing its hard, male yang aspects with the soft, fluid, female yin facets. The taiji, commonly known as the yinyang in the West, is a symbol of this harmony. The smaller inner circles represent the presence of yin within yang and vice versa. Taoism centers on the belief that there is a unifying force or energy which flows through everything. The Taoist aims to ride the Tao (the Way) to a long, healthy life and even immortality, believing that worldly possessions and desires can cause a being to lose sight of this path. This belief means that Taoists often lived reclusive existences. While Taoist harmonious ideals and the concept of wu wei (achievement through inaction) are pacifist in essence, the religion has also fostered its own form of martial arts, born in the mountain temples of Wudang Shan.
Visiting Temples
The Happy Buddha, Maitreya
Visiting a working temple in China can seem like a daunting and confusing prospect. There are a pantheon of gods and all manner of associated rituals, but as a foreigner you'll be forgiven most of your faux pas, and in temples popular with tourists many Chinese visitors may appear to have little more idea than you! Dress conservatively, although you may well see those who don't.
The entrances of Buddhist temples are often presided over by a pair of metal or stone lions. The entrance hall usually has a statue of the "Happy Buddha,” as Maitreya has become known, along with menacing statues of the Four Heavenly Kings. Buddhist temples are built along a central axis with a series of courtyards and lesser shrines leading to the most important and grandest hall at the rear. These halls usually hold statuary, which believers bow to with the hands clasped. The courtyards are separated by screened gateways in order to prevent bad spirits (who can only travel in straight lines) from entering. In theory you should walk clockwise around Buddhist temples but this isn't always possible and you'll see plenty of locals going the other way.
You'll see a host of gods in most Buddhist temples, though Sakyamuni, with his tightly knit hair, is the most significant and is often shown in past, present and future form, while Guanyin (Kun Iam in Cantonese), the Goddess of Mercy, is often depicted with hundreds of arms and is found in many temples. In Taoist temples you might see statues of its founder, Lao Zi, along with the Eight Immortals, and in the south the Taoist Goddess of Fishermen and the Sea, known variously as A-Ma, Mazu and Tin Hau, is a prominent figure with numerous temples dedicated to her in Hong Kong, Macau and Fujian. Incense and ghost money are burnt in temples to all of the Three Teachings, either in large brick ovens or in ornate metal burners, usually found in the courtyards. You'll also people divining their future at temples in all kinds of ingenious ways, the most common of which is by shaking sticks in a wooden cup until one falls out!
Best Temples & Monasteries
White Cloud Temple, Beijing
Tibetan Lama Temple, Beijing
Puning Temple, Chengde
Eight Immortals Temple, Xi'an
Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an
Luohan Temple, Chongqing
Fengdu Ghost Temple, Three Gorges