Taoism

Also called

Daoism

Origin

China, with roots in the sixth to fourth centuries BCE.

Texts

The Tao Te Ching, attributed to Laozi, and the Zhuangzi; later religious writings of the Taoist canon.

Place of worship

A Taoist temple (guan) with priests and sometimes monks and nuns.

Main beliefs

• The Tao ("the way") is the underlying order and source of all things.
• Wu wei: acting in harmony with nature without forcing.
• Yin and yang, the complementary pairs, and the search for balance, simplicity and long life.

Practice

Meditation, qigong and tai chi, ritual by Taoist priests, offerings and temple festivals; in China many people mix Taoism with Buddhism and folk religion.

Holy days and festivals

The Chinese New Year and festivals of local deities; the birthday of Laozi.

Visiting a place of worship

Be quiet, make no loud remarks and ask before taking photographs.

A note

Taoism has a philosophical and a religious side that are often separate. Our Tao Te Ching section has the book.

The other eleven faiths · Comparison table

Questions people ask

This is a short, neutral introduction written from widely agreed facts. Every faith has many traditions and its members may describe it differently; for a true account, ask a member of that faith. We state no figures and no dates of moveable festivals.