History
The Buddhist Association of China was founded on 30 May 1953,[7] and was disbanded in the late 1960s during the Cultural Revolution, then reactivated following the end of that period.[7]
In 1980, the CCP Central Committee approved a request by the United Front Work Department to create a national conference for religious groups.[8]: 126–127 The BCA was one of five such religious groups, which also included the Islamic Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, and the Catholic Patriotic Association.[8]: 127
In 1994, Zhao Puchu tried to limit the practice of businesses and municipalities building outlandishly large mountaintop and cliffside Buddha statues. Noting that China has at least one mountaintop Buddha for each of the cardinal directions he stated "That's enough", and clarified. "From now on, there is no need to build any more outdoor Buddha statues." These efforts were entirely unsuccessful.[9]
In 2006, the BCA and the Hong Kong Buddhist Association 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 in Jiangsu province.[10] The organizer of events was the president of the BCA, Venerable Master Yicheng. The vice president is Gyaincain Norbu, a disputed 11th Panchen Lama.[11][12]
In 2017 the BCA declared the longstanding tradition that the first offering of incense of the new year are particularly auspicious to have no grounds in Buddhist doctrine.[13]
In 2018, the BCA's parent organization, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, was absorbed into the CCP's United Front Work Department.[1]
In August 2018 Xuecheng resigned as president of the Buddhist Association of China following reports of sexual harassment by six female monks. The scandal was seen as part of the wider me too movement.[14]
In February 2023, the BCA launched a searchable database of official practitioners.[15]
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