Study on christian belief and cultural exchange of chinese in northern thailand the case of the manchu village of chiang rai

Abstract

In the process of integration into Thai society, Manchu Village, a Chinese community, has achieved mutual cooperation between civil autonomy authority and national administrative authority. Gradually accepted Thai culture, villagers in Manchu formed a strong national identity for Thailand. Meanwhile, they still inherit Chinese culture and maintained hometown recall and Chinese identity, which have also undergone fission. A variety of beliefs,such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Yitong Taoism,and “Heaven, Earth, Country, Ancestor and Teacher”, coexist in the community. However, the split of the Christian church has not affected the unity and cohesion of the community. The spread and development of Christianity in Manchu presents a macro interaction chain between Thailand and Southeast Asia, between China’s southeastern coastand southwestern frontiers.