Taoist Gods:The major gods in Taoism are generally called 'senior deity'. In order to hold Lao-tzu in veneration and believe in the 'Tao (path)' Lao-tzu advocates, Taoists combine Lao-tzu with 'Tao (path)', and apotheosize him as the highest deity of Taoism.
Three Purities: It is the collective address of three highest deities that Taoism holds in veneration and worshipps. The three highest deities refer to Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning in the heaven of Qingwei in the realm of Jade Pure, Heavenly Worthy of the Numinous Treasure in the heaven of Yuyu in the realm of Upper Pure and Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Inner Power in the heaven of Dachi in the realm of Great Pure, of which the realm of Jade Pure, the realm of Upper Pure and the realm of Great Pure are the different fairland they live, the heaven of Qingwei, the heaven of Yuyu and the heaven of Dachi are the celestial boundaries they rule, and the celestial worthy means the most respectful and the highest rank of Taoist gods, whence came its name.
Senior Lord: He is the first deity appearing in Taoism. When Huang Lao Taoism was in vogue, Lao-tzu had become the highest deity of Taoism.
Three Officials: They are the deities appearing relatively early in Taoism. At the early stage of Taoism, Zhang Daoling said that they Taoists 'didn\'t believe any deity or ghost but worship 'Senior Lord and Three Instructors' as well as the deity of Three Officials. Later 'Three Officials' was also called 'Three Scholars'. The Buddhist and Daoist Records of Weishu (The Standard History of the Wei Dynasty) says, 'Taoism has three essences and nine mansions as well as the three officials of heaven, earth and water. As for the three essences, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is upper essence, namely when the heaven official examines and rechecks the documents; the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the middle essence, namely when the earth official examines and rechecks the documents; the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month is the lower essence, namely when the water official examines and rechecks the documents. All the living things on earth are under the rule of the three officials of heaven, earth and water.'
Jade Emperor of Heaven:He is a deity the folk society of our country has long held homage to. He is said to be a supreme deity who takes in charge of all the disasters and blessings of the three realms, ten directions, four elements and six paths. However, he is inferior to 'Three Purities' in Taoism.
Great Perfect Warrior Emperor: He is a very impressive deity in Taoism and one of the four saints who are appointed to the four quarters of the east, the west, the south and the north and take charge of the realms for one day.
Great Emperor of the Tai Mountain : He is namely Emperor Fengdu. He is originally the god of the Tai Mountain of the five famous high mountains. Emperors of all dynasties would offer sacrifices to the five famous high mountains, especially the Tai Mountain, because it is the eatern ancient mountain of the five famous high mountains and also the head of the high mountains. Therefore, it was taken more seriously. The Basic Annals of the Great Emperor of the Tai Mountain says, 'the Tai Mountain as the son of the Heavenly Emperor and the mansion of deities takes charge of the number of the gentle, the simple, the honored and the humble in human world, the eighteen hells, six books of law case, seventy six departments and the power of life and death'. Therefore, he has become a deity of Taoism and the highest of the Taoist yin spirits.
Taoist Sutras and Signs:The Taoist Canon is the collective works of Taoist sutras. Apart from Taoist sutras, it also collects works on other aspects such as schools of classic thoughts, medicine, chemistry, biology, athletics, health and care, astrology and geography. It is an important part of cultural heritage of ancient China.
The sign of Taoism is the Eight Diagrams and Taiji Graph.
Taoist Activities:Fasting and Sacrificing Ceremony
It is a relatively common prayer ceremony in Taoism. It means offering sacrifice to Fasting God and entreating deities to dispel disasters and bring blessings. The general procedure is that first setting up altar and placing sacrifices and then lighting incense, writing symbols, chanting sutra and singing praises. There are also bamboo lamps and music as accompaniment during the process of the ceremony.
Taoist Sacrificial Ceremony
It is namely Taoist rite. On the Tomb Sweeping Festival, July 15th and October 1st of every year, Taoist rites will be held to release the souls of the deseased Taoists. Ordinary believers and common people may also provide funds and invite Taoists to hold a Taoist rite in order to bring blessings, expel disasters and release the souls of the deseased from purgatory.
Taoist Appellations:The professional Taoist followers who embrace Taoist doctrines and practice Taoist arts in Taoism are called Taoists. Other appellations for Taoists are as follows
Rabbi It is an honorific title for Taoists who are proficient in teachings and dogmata and serve as teachers in Taoism; those who are advanced in learning doctrines and can preside fasting ceremony are also called rabbi.
Perfect master Taoists who have cultivated themselves according to Taoist doctrines for a long time and gained a high virtue and sharp thoughts can be called perfect master.
Succeeding master, master of great learning and integrity, master of commandments amd great master The Taoist masters who haven\'t made religious vows in the Quanzhen Taoism are called succeeding masters; those who have made religious vows are called masters of great learning and integrity; those who have assumed the office of abbot are called masters of commandments; those who take charge of warning alter are called great masters.
Heavenly master It is an honorific title for the founder of Heavenly Master Taoism Zhang Daoling and his hereditary successors of later ages given by the Taoists of Orthodox Oneness Sect.
Abbot It is an appellation for the masters of Taoist temples of the ten directions of the Quanzhen Sect in Taoism. The quiet room he lives is also called abbot.
Temple supervisor It is an appellation for the general manager of affairs in the Taoist temple of Quanzhen Taoism. It is merely inferior to abbot.
Director The Taoists who maintain Taoist rules and take charge of affairs in the Taoist temples of the two sects of Taoism can all be called directors. According to the Ten Taoist Regulations, 'as an abbot, he must be advanced in age, high in virtue, upright in character, bright and extensive in learing and qualified to be a person of exemplary virtue in the Taoist temple. Moreover, merely converts of the blessed land can be appointed as an abbot.'
Guest receptionist It is an appellation for Taoists who take charge of receiving Taoist followers from the outside and guests in the Taoist temple.
The non-professional followers in Taoism are not called Taoists but scholars, chelas, adherents, believers or disciples.
Taoist Festivals:Taoism takes the 'birthday' of gods and immortals as festivals. The ninth day of the first lunar month of every year is the 'birthday' of Jade Empeor of Heaven, the nineteeth day of the first lunar month is the 'birthday' of Qiu Chuji and the eighteenth day of the fourth month is the 'birthday' of Lord Bixia, etc. At that time, the Fasting and Sacrificing Ceremony will be held and the alter set up for Taoists to chant sutras. When the 'birthday' of the Lord Bixia arrives, there are multitudes of pilgrims who come to the Tai Mountain to offer incense and redeem a vow. On the twenty-eighth day of the third lunar month, the 'birthday' of the Great Emperor of the Tai Mountain, a large-scale temple fair has developed since the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
Layout of Toaist Temple Hall:Taoist buildings are often composed of the four parts of sanctuary, dining hall, dormitory and garden. Its overall layout basically adopts the style of Chinese traditional courtyard. With the wooden truss as the main structure, the 'rooms' as units make up individual buildings, which further make up couryard houses, and all sorts of building complex are based on courtyard houses. The sanctuary is the main site for religious activities and is often located on the main axis of a building complex as the main body of the whole building complex. Large-sized temples are mostly courtyard houses, which are laid serially and longitudinally and gradually ascend with the ground level. The statues or figures of deities are placed in the halls. The dining hall building includes the guest hall, the fasting hall, the kitchen and the auxiliary storehouse. They are often placed on the side face of the main axis of the building complex. The dormitories, which are the accommodation houses of Taoists, believers and tourists, have a relatively flexible layout. They are often solely built as a courtyard house in a secluded place of the building complex. Some temples take advantage of the scenic areas and historic sites as well as grotesque landform and ground objects (such as mountain spring, streams, giant rock, exotic caves, suspended rocks and ancient trees) near the building complex and build storied buildings, pavilions, houses on terraces and mills, which develop into a garden giving prominence to natural landscapes in the building complex. In the Taoist building, the four parts have a clear and definite zoning, appropriate collocation and convenient contact and give people a feeling of stateliness, solemnness, freshness and cosiness. Moreover, it also synthesizes and integrates the building with several forms of arts such as wall painting, sculpture, calligraphy, painting, antithetical couplet written and mounted on a horizontal tablet, dedication, poems, essays, stone inscriptions, and garden, which are cleverly arranged in accordance with local conditions, have relatively high cultural level and colorful artistic image and thereby strengthen the artistic infectivity. The Taoist buildings in the coastal areas of Huanan have exquisite carvings and lifelike wall paintings. Those in the scenic areas of famous mountains have a flexible layout by combining the natural landscapes such as exotic peaks and gullies, sweet spring, graceful water and tall ancient trees and build a good many unconventionally graceful, elegant, mysterious and magical building complex by applying all kinds of unique architectural pattern and practice.
The overall layout, mass, decoration and color of the Taoist building all indicate that its architectural thoughts follow the Yin Yang and Five Evolutive Phases Doctrine of ancient China. This doctrine holds that everything in universe is composed of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, gold and water and is assigned to five evolutive phases, which depend on each other in circulation. The configuration of season, orientation and color is especially closely related with the Taoist building.
Taoism claims that ten caves, thirty-six small caves and seventy-two blessed lands among the famous mountains under heaven are the places where immortals live and called 'caves and blessed lands'. The Taoist temples are built in these places.
Five Famous High Mountains:Tai Mountain as the Western Ancient Mountain
Among the famous Taoist sacred places of 'three mountains and five famous high mountains' in our country, the Tai Mountain is 'the solely respected of the five high mountains' and enjoys a good reputation as 'the first famous mountain under heaven'. It is located in Tai\'an County, Shandong Province. Though the Tai Mountain is not the highest and largest of the five high mountains, being grand, steep and lofty, it is situated in the Huabei Plain as one of the important cradles of ancient Chinese civilization and the center of Qi-Lu culture. Therefore, the creation of great nature and the cultivation of Qi-Lu culture enable the Tai Mountain to gain a great reputation and enjoy its position as 'the solely respected of the five high mountains' and 'the grandfather of famous mountains'
Hua Mountain as the Western Ancient Mountain
The Hua Mountain is located in Huayin County, Shanxi Province. Occupying the three provinces of Qin, Jin and Yu, it is a traffic throat between the east and the west, a junction between the two ancient cities of Chang\'an and Luoyang. It is reputed for its dangerous appearance and intelligent for its intelligence. It has a high and straight appearance with thousands of cliffs. With vast vigor the southern peak Luoyan, the western peak Lianhua, the central peak Yunv and the northern peak Yuntai are well known in the world for majesty, oddness, highness and danger. The mountainside is shrouded by clouds and mists. Hidden among exotic peaks, the monasteries and platforms set off against exotic pines and caves. The clear spring rills in the valley and moisten Ganoderma lucidum and immortal herb. Therefore, the Hua Mountain has been the immortal\'s cave of Taoism since antiquity and is one of the ten large caves and the thirty six small caves.
Heng Mountain as the Southern Ancient Mountain
The Heng Mountain is located in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. With exuberant vegetation and graceful sceneries, it is a famous scenic spot where immortals and Taoists dwell and practice austerities. During the Han and Wei Dynasties, a famous Taoist called Wei Huacun once lived in the mountain, became accomplished in cultivation and was created Mrs Nanyue(Southern Ancient Mountain). The mountain now has Taoist temples such as Nanyue Grand Temple, Huangting Taoist Temple, Xuandu Taoist Temple and Zhu Rong Temple, which gather and store favourable wind and vital energy and are kept intact. With graceful landscapes, the southern ancient mountain has been a famous scenic spot with coexistent Buddhism and Taoism up to the present.
Hen Mountain as the Northern Ancient Mountain
The Hen Mountain is located to the south of Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province. It is storied that it was conferred with the title of the northern ancient mountain and raised to be the suzerain of tens of thousands of mountains in the northern land by Emperor Shun in ancient times when he made his inspection tour in the Hen Mountain. Stretching from northeast to southwest, it has one hundred and eight continuous and heaving peaks extending as long as hundreds of li. With majestic mountain apperance, it has been a natural barrier that military strategists in ancient China contended for since antiquity. Taoism calls this mountain the fifth small cave. The mountain has exotic rocks and tall ancient trees. Moreover, it is left with quite a few Taoist relics and legends. There were eighteen Taoist temples called eighteen wonderful sceneries in ancient times.
Song Mountain as the Central Ancient Mountain
The Song Mountain, which was called Waifang Mountain, Chong Mountain and Song High Mountain in ancient tiems, is located within Dengfeng County ninety kilometers southwest of Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. With exotic and high peaks, graceful landscapes and a large number of Taoist temples, it is the first famous mountain in the Zhongzhou Area. Its verve is mainly embodied in its extensiveness and abundance. It contains and nourishes all things on earth. Therefore, Taoism esteems the god of the central ancient mountain as the deity who takes charge of the land, mountain, river, valley of the world as well as the feed of ox and sheep. At the same time, it is also the symbol of Confucian virtue in the central land. Since the past dynasties, it has become a famous mountain with conexistent Confucius, Taoism and Buddism. The existent Zhongyue Temple is the largest Taoist building in the Song Mountain. Inside the temple, there are lofty halls, towering ancient cypresses and an assemblage of cultural relics, which present a distinct flavor of a Taoist temple and sacred place.
Other Famous Mountains and Ancient Taoist Temples
Qingcheng Mountain - Chang Taoist Temple
The Qingcheng Mountain has long enjoyed a good reputation as 'the most serene mountain under heaven'. The founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling, entered the land of Shu (present-day Sichuan Province) by way of Shanxi and settled down on the Qingcheng Mountain where he built a thatched house, spread Taoist doctrines and passed away there. As early as the 2rd century B.C., the Qin Dynasty ranked the Qincheng Mountain as one of the eighteen sacred places of mountains and rivers for national sacrifice. The Chang Taoist Temple is the center of Taoism on the Qingcheng Mountain. It is said that the Heavenly Master Cave behind the Taoist temple is the place where Zhao Daoling built a house and spread Taoist doctrines.
Zhongnan Mountain -Caolou Taoist Temple
It is located at the northern foot of the Zhongnan Mountain in Louguan Town fifteen kilometers southeast of Zhouzhi County, Xi\'an City. It is said that Yin Xi, the magistrate of the Hangu Pass and also a Dafu (senior official) in the Zhou Dynasty, built a thatched storied house to observe celestical bodies. Therefore, it was called Caolou Taoist Temple. When he saw a purple gas come from the east, he knew that there would be a Taoist passing by. Later, when Lao-tzu traveled west and entered the pass, Yin Xi received him and settled him in the thatched storied house. Lao-tzu wrote five thousand words of the Classic of the Way and the Natural Virtue and built a platform and imparted the sutra in the high hillock to the south of the thatched storied house. Hence, it is also called sutra teaching platform or sutra instructing platform. This is the orgin of the name of Louguan Platform.
The flourishing period of the Louguan Platform is still the Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, took Lao Tzu as his ancestor and transformed the Louguan Platform as the Zongsheng Palace. Emperor Xuanzong also transformed the Zongsheng Palace into Zongsheng Taoist Temple under color of dreaming Lao-tzu at night. Since then the Louguan Platform has been more of a Taoist sacred place.
Wudang Mountain - Zixiao Palace -Golden Temple
The graceful natural landscapes in the Wudang Mountain make it an ideal place for Taoists to pursue fairland. It is storied that Xuan Wu accomplished cultivation, ascended to heaven and became an immortal in ancient times. However, what really makes the Wudang Mountain enjoy a great reputation is Zhang Sanfeng, a great master of one generation. The Wudang Sect he established is on a par with the Shaolin Sect of the Song Mountain.
The Zixiao Palace is located beside the soul path of the Wudang Mountain. Built in the eleventh year of Yongle period in the Ming Dynasty, it is a completely preserved Taoist temple in the Wudang Mountain. The golden temple is situated on the Celestial Pillar (Tianzhu) Peak, the main peak of the Wudang Mountain. Also built during the Yongle period, it is the largest bronze cast and gold plated grand temple existent in our country.
Ruicheng Yongle Palace - Huxian Chongyang Palace -Beijing Baiyun Taoist Temple>
The Ruicheng Yongle Palace, also called Chunyang Palace, is located in Longquan Village to the north of Ruicheng County. It is well known in the world for wall paintings and the treasure of wall painting arts existent in China. It is comparable to the wall paintings of Dunhuang. The Yongle Palace as one of the three ancestral halls of Taoism in China is built for offering sacrifices to Lu Dongbin, who is one of the eight cave immortals of Taoism in ancient China. The Chongyang Palace is located in Zu\'an Town of Nanhu County to the southwest of Xi\'an City, Shanxi Province. Built in the Yuan Dynasty, it is the place where Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, promoted Taoist doctrines and was buried. Therefore, it was taken as the ancestral temple by Quanzhen Taoism and also called 'Ancestral Monastery'. The Baiyun Taoist Temple, which is located outside the western (Xibian) gate in Beijing City, is the first Taoist temple of Quanzhen Taoism and also the ancestral temple of Longmen Sect. As the largest Taoist temple building and the seat of the China Taoist Association, it enjoys a great reputation all over the country.
Weizhou Island Matsu Temple -Tianjin Houtian Palace - Taiwan Beigang Chaotian Palace
They are the three largest Matsu Temples in China. Of them, the Matsu Temple in Weizhou Island is the ancestral temple of Matsu. Matsu, originally named Lin Mo, once rescued many fishermen and boats that were in danger in the sea. Therefore, she was raised to be Goddess Matsu by local fishermen. Taoism follows the folk legend and ranks Matsu as the guardian spirit in the sea.