The Costs of Good Karma: The Effects of Fangsheng on the Chinese Environment and Society

Abstract

Since the end of China’s Cultural Revolution in 1976, there has been a resurgence of religious practices, some of which have had unintended environmental consequences in various places across the country. According to The Economist’s September 2015 issue, the Buddhist practice of fangsheng, also called animal release, has been on the rise in China, especially among the younger, wealthier generation. Ritual animal release has been a significant cause of the introduction of large quantities of non-native animal species into China’s environment. For example, a few thousand loach (a type of non-native fish) were liberated into Shanghai’s Huangpu River at one time. These large numbers of animals heavily influence the likelihood of a non-native species becoming invasive, which can cause numerous problems. For instance, non-native bird species released in Hong Kong have recently raised concern on multiple fronts: in terms of the environment, increasing numbers of these birds are crowding out native bird populations in the area; in the arena of public health, they are believed to be a source of varying strains of avian flu. Animal release rituals also impact the economy, increasing demand amongst practitioners of Buddhism to purchase animals to liberate. To keep up with this demand, wildlife traders often re-catch recently liberated animals simply to place them back on the market. These animals are often quite expensive; many young people spend upwards of 5,000 yuan (about 765 dollars) per year on animals to release. Such side effects appear in multiple provinces as there are 281 different fangsheng organizations with at least one in every province and municipality, except Tibet. This paper aims to address these and other effects and concerns of fangsheng and propose some solutions to these problems.