Taoism culture originates from traditional Chinese culture. It takes the Huang-Lao Doctrine (the ideological integration of Huangdi’s thoughts and Laozi’s teachings, the core of Taoism philosophy) as its theoretical foundation, while absorbing some ideological elements from various schools of thought in ancient China, including Yijing Studies (the study of the I Ching, focusing on the concepts of Yin-Yang changes and Eight Trigrams), Confucianism, Mohism, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, based on the theories of Yin-Yang and Five Elements for health preservation and treatment), Yin-Yang School (centered on the balance of Yin and Yang and the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements), and the School of Immortality (dedicated to the pursuit of longevity and immortality practices). Its core goals include aiding the world and saving people (alleviating real-life sufferings of the people), attaining immortality (pursuing the extension of individual life), and cultivating to achieve Dao (realizing the transcendence of spiritual and life realms). The main classic works embodying its core ideas are Tao Te Ching (written by Laozi, expounding the core concepts of "Dao" and "De", and serving as the foundational classic of Taoist thought) and I Ching (though one of the "Five Classics" of Confucianism, it has become an important theoretical basis for Taoism culture due to its ideas of Yin-Yang changes).
Zhang Daoling, the Founding Heavenly Master, practiced alchemy at Yunjin Mountain—a blessed place with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and a serene landscape. According to legend, when his alchemy succeeded, "a dragon and a tiger appeared," and Zhang Daoling ascended to become an immortal right there. Since then, Yunjin Mountain has been renamed Longhu Mountain (Dragon-Tiger Mountain), which remains a major sacred site of Taoism.
Around 141 CE, Zhang Daoling began accepting disciples and establishing his teachings. Followers were required to offer five dou (an ancient Chinese unit of volume, approximately 10 liters per dou) of rice as a token of faith and to support the religious community. For this reason, his teachings were known as the Five-Dou-Rice Taoism—the earliest organized form of Taoism, later referred to simply as "Taoism" in subsequent generations.
In 142 CE (the first year of the Han’an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty), it is said that Lord Laozi (the deified incarnation of Laozi, the author of Tao Te Ching and the highest deity in Taoism) descended to earth in person. He bestowed upon Zhang Daoling the "Three Heavens Orthodox Law" and appointed him as the "Heavenly Master." In the same year, Lord Laozi further granted Zhang Daoling the "Orthodox First School’s Essential Arts and Daoist Texts" and the "Sutra of Marvelous Development" (a key Taoist scripture), and conferred on him the title of "True Person of Orthodox Unity, the Master of the Three Heavens."
Thereafter, Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling traveled through the Bashu region (modern-day Sichuan and Chongqing) to subdue demons and eliminate evil forces. He established 24 zhi (administrative and religious centers for Taoism, where disciples gathered for practice and religious activities). With this, Taoism officially had a formal religious organization known as the Heavenly Master Taoism.
Founded by Zhang Daoling, the Founding Heavenly Master, around 141 CE during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Zhengyi Sect adheres to the principle of "Upholding Orthodoxy to Combat Evil, Unifying Myriads with Oneness." It advocates active engagement in the world for spiritual practice: facing life directly, praying for blessings and warding off disasters for people, resolving hardships, promoting Dao to benefit the world, and safeguarding the country and the people.
The Zhengyi Sect imposes relatively few restrictions on the personal lives of its Taoist priests (daoshi):
- Except when performing rituals in temples (such as reciting scriptures or conducting ceremonies), priests may wear ordinary secular clothing in daily life.
- They are allowed to marry, have children, and consume meat.
- They are not required to grow beards, and their hairstyles may follow secular customs.
Founded by Wang Chongyang around 1167 CE during the late Song and early Yuan dynasties, the Quanzhen Sect advocates the principles of "No Mind, No Words; Gentleness and Tranquility; Rectifying the Mind and Sincere Intent; Less Selfishness, Few Desires." In terms of practice, it emphasizes the cultivation of both "Xing" (nature/spirit) and "Ming" (life/body)—a holistic approach to spiritual and physical refinement—with a focus on internal alchemy (a practice of refining one’s vital energy qi, spirit shen, and essence jing within the body to achieve immortality, as opposed to "external alchemy" which involves refining minerals into elixirs).
The Quanzhen Sect integrates some traditions and precepts from Buddhism, imposing stricter rules on its priests:
- Priests must live in Taoist temples (guan) as celibate monks/nuns, rather than in secular households.
- They are required to reside in simple, modest quarters.
- They must grow long hair and beards (as a sign of adhering to traditional ascetic practices).
- They are forbidden from consuming meat, drinking alcohol, marrying, or having children.
The Zhengyi Taoism (a broader umbrella term encompassing the Zhengyi Sect and its affiliated branches) consists of both traditional and new talismans-focused sub-sects (talismans, or fu, are sacred symbols used in Taoism to invoke divine power). These include:
- Longhu Sect (Dragon-Tiger Sect, centered on Longhu Mountain, the ancestral home of the Zhang family),
- Maoshan Sect (centered on Maoshan Mountain in Jiangsu Province, known for its exorcism rituals),
- Gezao Sect (centered on Gezao Mountain in Jiangxi Province, specializing in rituals for praying for good harvests),
- Taiyi Sect (focused on healing and prayer),
- Jingming Sect (emphasizing filial piety and moral integrity),
- As well as other branches such as the Shenxiao Sect (specializing in thunder rituals), Qingwei Sect (focused on ritual music and ceremonies), Donghua Sect, and Tianxin Zhengfa Sect (Heavenly Heart Orthodox Law Sect).
All these sub-sects are under the unified leadership of the Zhengyi Sect Leader.
The leadership of Zhengyi Taoism has been passed down through the direct descendants of Zhang Daoling, the Founding Heavenly Master. For generations, each Heavenly Master has inherited the position of Zhengyi Sect Leader. Even during the Ming and Qing dynasties—when the imperial title of "Heavenly Master" was revoked and the Zhengyi Sect Leader was no longer officially appointed by the emperor—the bloodline descendants of Zhang Daoling continued to be recognized as the legitimate leaders of Zhengyi Taoism.
The current abbot of the Heavenly Master Mansion is Zhang Jintao, who holds the position of Vice President of the China Taoist Association. He is the 65th-generation direct blood descendant of Zhang Daoling, the Founding Heavenly Master.
Zhang Daoling, the Founding Heavenly Master, once practiced alchemy at Longhu Mountain. After the 4th-generation Heavenly Master returned to Longhu Mountain to spread Taoism, the Sihanchen Heavenly Master Mansion (named to honor the "inheritance of the Han Dynasty’s Heavenly Master legacy") at Longhu Mountain became the residence of Heavenly Masters for all subsequent generations.
As such, the Heavenly Master Mansion is known as the "Altar of Ten Thousand Laws" (the highest ritual center for all Taoist practices) and the "Ancestral Court of Taoism" (the spiritual origin of Taoism). It is also the only institution designated by the China Taoist Association for conferring lu (formal ordination certificates for Zhengyi Taoist priests).
For a Zhengyi Taoist priest, only after receiving the lu (a sacred certificate that records the priest’s Taoist title, divine authority, and the deities they can invoke) can they be officially registered in the "Heavenly Ministry" (the celestial bureaucracy in Taoist cosmology) and obtain a Daoist rank and divine official status.
With this rank and status, the priest’s zhangci (formal memorials or prayers written on paper during rituals) can be delivered to the Heavenly Court (the realm of Taoist deities) during ceremonies, enabling them to invoke divine protection for the people.
Zhengyi Taoism attaches great importance to Zhaijiao—elaborate ritual ceremonies that serve various purposes, including praying for blessings, warding off disasters, dispelling evil spirits, and delivering the souls of the deceased. Zhaijiao ceremonies are divided into two main categories:
Focused on blessing the living, these include:
- Praying for peace and safety,
- "Supplementing the Treasury of Wealth" (a ritual to enhance one’s fortune),
- "Opening the Light" (consecrating religious statues or artifacts to infuse them with divine energy),
- "Worshipping the Dipper" (praying to the Big Dipper constellation for longevity),
- "Worshipping the Year Star" (praying to the Jupiter deity to avoid misfortunes associated with one’s zodiac year),
- And recitations such as the "Three Officials Repentance" (repenting sins to the Three Officials—Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials), "Jade Emperor Repentance" (honoring the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the Heavenly Court), and "Heavenly Master Repentance" (honoring Zhang Daoling).
Focused on guiding the souls of the dead, these include:
- "Delivering the Departed Souls" (helping the souls of the deceased ascend to a peaceful celestial realm),
- "Repaying the Karmic Debt of Birth" (a ritual to settle the "debt" believed to be incurred when one is born into the world),
- And "Lingbao Salvation Rituals" (large-scale ceremonies based on the Lingbao School of Taoism to redeem suffering souls).
Talisman Law is a core practice in Taoism, in which divine power is embodied in the form of "symbols"—combining specific characters, patterns, and incantations. These symbols are written on designated materials (such as paper, silk, wood, or stone) and are regarded as divine orders from Taoist deities.
Talismans are used for multiple purposes: suppressing demons and evil spirits, curing illnesses, and praying for blessings (such as good health, safety, or harvests). Each talisman has a specific purpose and must be written with strict adherence to ritual rules (including the use of special brushes, ink, and calligraphy styles) to ensure its "divine efficacy."
