In a letter of 21 November 1997 to the Research Directorate, a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds currently working in Hong Kong, provided the following information on the Hua Guang worship in China:

It is at first a protector of a guild and later became popular among many local villages in southern China. Sometimes it is associated with some martial arts groups. It is classified as a folk religion. It has no doctrine to speak of and it is one of the thousands of deities worshipped in rural China. It has no organization and basically followers just build their own temple. There is no way to estimate their strength. These temples come and go and the number of followers fluctuates. If another local deity works better, they will switch to the other. Folk religion is very flexible in China.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Research Fellow, University of Leeds. Hong Kong. 21 November 1997. Letter to the Research Directorate.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, REFWORLD (UNHCR database).

The Encyclopedia of Religion. [New York]. 1987.

Human Rights and the World's Religions. [Indiana]. 1988.

Resource Centre Country File (China). 1993 to present.