The most important religions in Taiwan are Buddhism and Daoism,
which are practiced by the majority of the population. While
only half of the population identified themselves as Buddhist or
Daoist in the official census, many of those who don’t indicate
any religious belief follow some of the tenets or participate in
some of the rituals and practices associated with Buddhism
and/or Daoism. Neither Buddhism nor Daoism is an exclusive
religion and thus most people practice elements of both of them
along with engaging in certain practices or ceremonies connected
with folk religion. In fact, it is common to see Buddhist
deities (especially Guan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy) enshrined
in Daoist temples, and Daoist gods (especially Mazu, the goddess
of fishermen) are often found in Buddhist temples. As is common
in other Buddhist countries, Buddhist monks and priest are often
called upon to conduct funeral ceremonies, even for non-
Buddhists, and many of the temples have mortuary rooms in which
the ashes and spirit p