Characteristics of the religions in Yunnan
The religions in Yunnan are different from those of the inlandprovince in the following three aspects.
Firstly, Yunnan ranks first in China in terms of religious beliefs. Yunnan has all the five influential religions with many branch sects, namely, Han, Southern and Tibetan Classical Buddhism; the Qadim (the Old Sect), the Jahariyah Sect (the New Sect), and the Ikhwan Sect (the Newest Sect) of Islam; Catholicism and Protestantism of Christianity; the True Unity Sect and the Complete Unity Sect of Daoism. In China Southern Buddhism exists only in Yunnan. Primitive religions in Yunnan have involved most of the content and forms of their kinds.
Secondly, the religions are well combined with the ethnic cultures. Because Yunnan is a province with the largest number of nationalities, the development of religions here has been greatly influenced by the ethnic cultures. For instance, when Mahayana Buddhism was brought to Yunnan, it incorporated itself with the local culture and brought about an obvious phenomenon of Avalokitesvara (Goddess of Mercy) worship in the Erhai Lake area. The legends of “Avalokitesvara fighting against man—eating demons” , " Avalokitesvara carrying a big stone to obstruct the enemy”, the origin of the Avalokitesvara festival and a large number of Avalokitesvara figures in Shizhong Shan Grottos in Jianchuan are some of the evidence to support this phenomenon. The statues in Shizhong Shan Grotto reflecting the three kings (Xinuluo, Geluofeng, and Yimuxun) of the Nanzhao Kingdom also indicate the combination of Buddhism with the local ethnic cultures. More examples show the combinations of Daoism with the local cultures. The fusion of Daosim with witchcraft of the Yi people has resulted in community patron god worship. Xinuluo, the king of the Nanzhao Kingdom is not only considered as the Mountain Deity but also as the reverend god of Daosim in Yunnan. Daoism, when combined with the ancestor worship and hero worship of the Bai people, produced the unique patron god (the god protecting a village or a place, it could be a national hero, an animal or a plant) worship.
Thirdly, all these religions permeate and influence one another. Evidences to this feature are found in many places in Yunnan. The temples and grottoes from the Sanqing Pavilion to the Dragon Gate at the Western Hill, and the Golden Temple Scenic Spot in Kunming all reflect the phenomenon of the unity of the three religions, Daosim, Buddhism and Confucianism. The Weibaoshan Mountain in Weishan County is a Daoist shrine but has many Buddhism temples as well. The Lijiang Frescos integrate Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism with Daosim. In the Shizhong Shan Grotto in Jianchuan County, there are statues of Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and even Pertians.

The geographical location of Yunnan is a decisive factor for the shaping of the above mentioned features. Closely connected with the inland of China with the Qinghai—Tibet Plateau at its back and facing South and Southeast Asia, Yuunan sits at the joining point of Zhongyuan Culture (the Central Plains), Southeastern Asia Culture and Tibetan Culture. All this helps to shape the three main religious features in Yunnan.