Margaret Reid

Worship of Guanyin has been referred to as the “Cult of Half Asia”… In diverse areas of China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan, Guanyin’s presence permeates the landscape. There are mountains, rocks, tunnels, caves and beaches named after this popular cult figure; numerous temples and huge statues can be seen and even temples not specifically dedicated to Guanyin usually contain a statue or two.

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Originally published as a chapter of the PhD thesis, “The Changing Face of Guanyin in East Asian Religions” (download, 46MB), University of Canterbury, 1997.