The Buddhist Association of China (BCA; ) is a major organization of Chinese Buddhism, which serves as the official supervisory organ of Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

 in the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. It was founded in 1953 at the urging of followers of Taixu

Taixu

Venerable Master Taixu , 1890-1947, was a Buddhist modernist, activist and thinker who advocated the reform and renewal of Chinese Buddhism.- Biography :...

, and its headquarters are located in Guangji Temple

Guangji Temple

The Guangji Temple of Beijing, located at inner Fuchengmen Street, in the Xicheng District, is a renowned Buddhist temple. It is also the headquarters of the Buddhist Association of China....

 in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

.

The BCA shares jurisdiction over Buddhists in China with the State Administration for Religious Affairs

State Administration for Religious Affairs

The State Administration for Religious Affairs , abbreviated SARA , is a functioning department under the State Council which oversees religious affairs and issues for the People's Republic of China...

, which regulates all recognized religions. Specifically, the BCA is charged with serving as a "bridge" linking Buddhists to the Chinese government by communicating government regulations to Buddhists and mobilizing them to comply with national laws. It also encourages participation of Chinese Buddhists in international Buddhist fora and supports local Buddhist associations in paying clerics' salaries, in registering temples with the government, and in productively using temple labor. The association publishes a journal, Chinese Buddhism.

In 2006, The BCA and the Hong Kong Buddhist Association

Hong Kong Buddhist Association

Hong Kong Buddhist Association is a Buddhist organisation in Hong Kong founded in 1945. It promotes Buddhism in Hong Kong and provides a series of charity services in Hong Kong, including education, medical, child care, youth activities, elderly care and burial....

 hosted the second World Buddhist Forum for dialogue between Buddhist monks and scholars from 50 countries and regions. The forum lasted for four days in the city of Wuxi

Wuxi

Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...

 in Jiangsu

Jiangsu

' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...

 province. The organizer of events was the president of the BCA, Venerable Master Yi Cheng. The vice president is Gyaincain Norbu, an 11th Panchen Lama

Panchen Lama

The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...

. The 14th Dalai Lama

14th Dalai Lama

The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...

 was offered a conditional invitation if he were to stop advocating Tibetan independence and committing other "secessionist activities", but he refused.

The past presidents of the Buddhist Association of China include:

• Venerable Master Yuen Ying (1953)
• Sherap Gyatso (1953 - 1966)
• Zhao Puchu
  Zhao Puchu
  Zhao Puchu was a religious and public leader who promoted cultural progress and religious tolerance in China...
  
  (1980 - 2000)
• Venerable Master Yi Cheng (2005 -)

External links

The following list is not complete since many Buddhist associations operating in China don't hold websites.

• Chinese Buddhist Association

• Chinese Buddhist Online Network
• Chinese Buddhist Culture Network
• International Chinese Buddhist Association
• Mount Wutai Buddhist Association
• Mount Emei Buddhist Association
• Mount Jiuhua Buddhist Association
• Buddhist Life Network
• Chinese Buddhist Temples Online Network
• Chinese Buddhist Music and Art Association
• Buddhist Information Network
• Chinese Buddhist System Center
• Chinese Buddhist Studies
• Chinese Buddhist Online Community
• Baoguang Temple Buddhist Association
• Huayan Temple Buddhist Association
• Tianjin Jile Temple Buddhist Association
• Guoen Temple Buddhist Association
• Daci Temple Buddhist Association
• Shaolin Temple Buddhist Association

Chapters

• Beijing Buddhist Association
  • Beijing Lay Buddhist Association
  • Lingguang Temple Buddhist Association
  • Baita Temple Buddhist Association
• Shanghai Buddhist Network
• Chonqing Buddhist Association and Buddhist Temples Network
• Guangdong Buddhist Association
  • Guangzhou Guangxiao Temple Buddhist Association
  • Hongfa Temple Buddhist Association
  • Meizhou Buddhist Association
  • Shenzhen Buddhist Association
• Fujian Buddhist Association
  • Xiamen Buddhist Association
  • Changle Buddhist Association
• Neijiang Buddhist Association
• Leshan Buddhist Association
• Anhui Buddhist Association
• Zhejiang Buddhist Network
  • Jiaxiang Buddhist Association
  • Yuyao Buddhist Association
  • Dafo Temple Buddhist Association
• Qiqihar Buddhist Association
• Inner Mongolia Buddhist Association
• Hunan Buddhist Association
• Henan Buddhist Institute
• Xuzhou Buddhist Association
• Yunnan Buddhist Association
• Hebei Buddhist Association - Bailin Temple
  • Xingtai Buddhist Association
  • Qinhuangdao Buddhist Association
  • Baoding Buddhist Association
• Hubei Buddhist Association
• Kunshan Buddhist Association
• Shandong Buddhist Association
  • Yantai Buddhist Association
• Mianyang Buddhist Association