Taoist rituals via video call and Tarot readings over WeChat: China’s spiritual market is going digital

By Haoyang Zhai, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne

Since its inception in 1921, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has officially promoted an atheist and materialist ideology. But belief systems in China are making a comeback – and this comeback is largely happening online.

From traditional Taoist rituals conducted via video call to Western-influenced practices like online tarot reading, the digital spiritual market is growing and new online cultures are emerging.

China has a diverse spiritual landscape with five officially…

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