“In China only five religions are legally recognized: Buddhism, Daoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. Some religions are not only unrecognized but are also declared xie jiao: Even participating in them is a criminal offense punishable by three to seven years of imprisonment. Government documents translate xie jiao into English as 'evil cults,' but a more direct translation might be 'heterodox teachings.' Lists of known xie jiao have been kept since the Ming Dynasty.”