The majority of Taiwan's people are believers of a mixture of Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Taoism and the philosophy of Confucianism. The Taiwan folk deity Matsu, Goddess of the Sea, and the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Kuanyin, are often worshipped in the same temple. New and old deities share the loyalties of the people of Taiwan. Taoism is very old and has its origins in the writings of Lao Tzu. At the core of Taoism is a belief that immortality can be achieved through living in harmony with nature. Achieving a balance of yin and yang is the key to spiritual peace. Folk heroes, famous generals and sages are among the individuals who are believed to have gained immortal status.
Buddhism stresses moral, disciplinary codes of behaviour and the ceremony of ordination. There is also an emphasis on Buddhist education and the establishment of Buddhist institutes. Confucianism is based on the teachings of the Chinese scholar Confucius. It stresses the adherence to an ethical code based on the two important concepts li and ren. Li has been interpreted to mean rites, ceremonies or etiquette. Ren is kindness, humanity and benevolence.	Did you know? At birth, a child is considered to be one year old. At every Chinese New Year another year is added. A baby's first month is a very important celebration. Taiwanese have two birth dates, one based on the lunar calendar and one based on the western calendar. Fortune tellers often determine marriage partners' suitability by using their lunar calendar birth dates.
Confucius also established codes of ethics that governed relationships between subjects and rulers, husbands and wives, parents and children, elder siblings and younger siblings and between friends. Confucian temples were built to honour Confucius. Elaborate ceremonies usually take place every year on September 28. This is also known as Teachers Day. Chinese immigrants brought folk religion to Taiwan from the mainland. Images of gods and traditional beliefs were introduced and adapted to the new society. In many cases new gods and rituals were created to meet the new needs of security and survival. A wide variety of Christian faiths are practised in Taiwan. Many of the Aboriginals in Taiwan follow Christian religions. Especially popular is the Presbyterian religion. Islam is the religion of a minority of Taiwanese.