History
Early Developments
During the Han Dynasty, there was an increasing interest in the Tao De Ching, Zhuangzi and many other holy texts of Taoism. One of the first flourishing centers for philosophy, literature and painting were created and established by Liu An, also known as Huainanzi. He was the ruler of the state of Huainan in China and was also the grandson of the founder of the Han Dynasty.
Liu An valued the Zhuangzi and favored Taoism over Confucianism. As he invited other famous philosophers and poets to his court where he was enlightened about Taoism, he created a compilation which synthesized the philosophies of Tao De Ching and Zhuangzi. During this time period, in one of the largest school of thoughts, Huanglao Tao, the followers soon revered to the teachings of Laozi and Huangdi. Soon afterwards in the 3rd century C.E, a dissimilar take on Taoism was shown by the legendary group of figures called Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. These Seven Sages who were admirers of Laozi assembled to write poems, criticize the government, and prepare manuals for their practices. Eventually, they retreated to the countryside to avoid political intrigue. The Seven Sages soon became a favorite theme of paintings and popular figures in Chinese culture today.
Liu An valued the Zhuangzi and favored Taoism over Confucianism. As he invited other famous philosophers and poets to his court where he was enlightened about Taoism, he created a compilation which synthesized the philosophies of Tao De Ching and Zhuangzi. During this time period, in one of the largest school of thoughts, Huanglao Tao, the followers soon revered to the teachings of Laozi and Huangdi. Soon afterwards in the 3rd century C.E, a dissimilar take on Taoism was shown by the legendary group of figures called Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. These Seven Sages who were admirers of Laozi assembled to write poems, criticize the government, and prepare manuals for their practices. Eventually, they retreated to the countryside to avoid political intrigue. The Seven Sages soon became a favorite theme of paintings and popular figures in Chinese culture today.
Schisms and Sects
In 283 C.E. to 343 C.E, Ge Hong was an important figure, known as "The Master Who Embraces Simplicity." In Ge Hong's few surviving writing--Nei pien, also known as Inner Chapters, he recounted what he had learned about things out of the ordinary, especially practices for extending life. The fangshi, "magicians" or "recipe masters" also had a great influence on Taoism. They had the skills to communicate with spirits, exorcise demons, heal illness, and summon the rain. In 142 C.E., a fangshi named Zhang Taolin founded the way of the celestial maters. Zhang recalls that he was visited by a deified Laozi, who gave him a mandate and a law. He was destined to get rid of the world of decadence and build a new realm. However, this movement opposed animal sacrifices and stated that gods only consume ch'i, the cosmic breath which is the source of all life. Shangqing, a textual classifcation rather than an religious organization spread rapidly among the aristocracy. In the 5th and 6th centuries, under the leadership of Tao Hongjing, a great historian and a bibliographer who preserved all of Yang's writings, Shangqing was shaped into an organization with community structures. In 397 to 402 C.E., other sacred scriptures were revealed from Ge Chaofu, a descendent of Ge Hong. This scripture was called Lingbao or sacred jewel and was the first Taoist scriptural tradition to include the important elements of Buddhism.
Modern Age
In the 16th century until today, there has been many attempts by scholars to unify the doctrines of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The distinctions between these three religions became less important within the culture. Taoism also absorbed many of the moral teachings of Buddhism and Confucianism. In the Qing dynasty, there was a movement to return to the "purity" of the Hang Dynasty before religion had ruined Chinese culture. Taoism found many of the attitudes encouraged by Jesuit missionaries "offensive", and declared to be a abnormal belief. From 1851 until 1864, many Taoist temples were destroyed in the Taiping rebellion, which was a civil resistance against the Qing dynasty. Many protestant missionaries spread negative opinions about Taoism, by calling it a degenerate religion. As the Qing weakened and was eventually overthrown, communism grew into power and Taoist temples were turned into schools, hospitals, government offices and more. Even the festivals of Taoism and acts of worship were forbidden. However, this soon came to an end in the 20th century, when practices of the Taoist masters became everyday rituals to promote good health and longevity.