Popular religion Chinese folk religion was centred around the patriarchal family and shen, or spirits. Common practices included ancestor veneration, filial piety, local gods and spirits. Rites included mourning, funeral, burial, practices.Richard J. Smith (2007). Settling the Dead: Funerals, Memorials and Beliefs Concerning the Afterlife . Living in the Chinese Cosmos: Understanding Religion in Late-Imperial China Since they did not require exclusive allegiance, forms and branches of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were intertwined, for instance in the syncretic Three teachings."Living in the Chinese Cosmos: Understanding Religion in Late Imperial China (1644–1911)" (Columbia University) Institutional Religion: The Three Teachings Chinese folk religion combined elements of the three, with local variations. County magistrates, who were graded and promoted on their ability to maintain local order, tolerated local sects and even patronised local temples as long as they were orderly, but were suspicious of heterodox sects that defied state authority and rejected imperial doctrines. Some of these sects indeed had long histories of rebellion, such as the Way of Former Heaven, which drew on Daoism, and the White Lotus Society, which drew on millennial Buddhism. The White Lotus Rebellion (1796–1804) confirmed official suspicions as did the Taiping Rebellion, which drew on millennial Christianity.
Popular religion Chinese folk religion was centred around the patriarchal family and shen or spirits Common practices included ancestor veneration filial piety local gods and spirits Rites included mourning funeral burial practicesRichard J Smith (2007) Settling the Dead Funerals Memorials and Beliefs Concerning the Afterlife  Living in the Chinese Cosmos Understanding Religion in Late-Imperial China Since they did not require exclusive allegiance forms and branches of Confucianism Buddhism and Daoism were intertwined for instance in the syncretic Three teachings"Living in the Chinese Cosmos Understanding Religion in Late Imperial China (1644–1911)" (Columbia University) Institutional Religion The Three Teachings Chinese folk religion combined elements of the three with local variations County magistrates who were graded and promoted on their ability to maintain local order tolerated local sects and even patronised local temples as long as they were orderly but were suspicious of heterodox sects that defied state authority and rejected imperial doctrines Some of these sects indeed had long histories of rebellion such as the Way of Former Heaven which drew on Daoism and the White Lotus Society which drew on millennial Buddhism The White Lotus Rebellion (1796–1804) confirmed official suspicions as did the Taiping Rebellion which drew on millennial Christianity