Daoism (also spelled Taoism) is the original wisdom tradition of the Middle Kingdom, as China has been known to the Han Chinese for millenia. With it's roots firmly in the shamanistic traditions of ancient China, Daoism has been updated and reinvented numerous times continuing into the present era. A legendary ancestor named Lao Tzo (meaning simply Old Sage) is revered as the original one. His wisdom is compiled in the Tao Te Ching. This short volume contains the original compiling of what had previously been an oral tradition.

There are few aspects of Chinese culture that can be separated from Daoism. Medicine, philosophy, cosmology, religion, morality, social relationships, personal cultivation, government, creativity, astrology and many more all find their origins therein. Calligraphy, music, painting, tai chi, qigong, neigong and others are practiced as part of self cultivation in the temple as well as the lay tradition

The Cultural Revolution took a huge toll on the practice of Daoism throughout China. Thousands of temples and lay communities were laid waste. Few lineages were spared. Some Masters and practitioners survived by hiding among the population. This was not a new phenomenon in Daoism which has seen similar purges as a regular part of it's history. The existent body of written works, the "Tao Canon" or Daozang has been banned or destroyed multiple times, only to be recompiled from manuscripts hidden against just such an eventuality. The current edition of the Daozang contains close to 2500 volumes and dates from the Ming Canon of 1445.