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Art of Asia
Course: Art of Asia > Unit 2
Lesson 10: Tang dynasty (618–907)- Tang dynasty (618–907), an introduction
- An Introduction to the Tang dynasty (618–906)
- A Tang silk brocade
- Tang Yue ware
- Tomb figurines, Tang dynasty
- Tomb figures of a man and woman on horseback
- Tomb figure of a groom
- Stele of the Buddha Maitreya
- Dancer
- Camel
- Central Asian wine peddler
- Chinese Buddhist cave shrines
- Mogao caves at Dunhuang
- Jataka tales at Dunhuang
- Dunhuang Historical Art, Cave 323
- A silk painting of sacred Buddhist images from Dunhuang
- The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (1 of 2)
- The paintings and manuscripts from cave 17 at Mogao (2 of 2)
- Hong Bian, the monk in the Library Cave, Mogao
- Zhou Fang, Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair
- Taoism in the Tang and Song dynasties
- Admonitions Scroll, attributed to Gu Kaizhi
- Han Gan, Night-Shining White
- Zither (qin) inscribed with the name “Dragon’s Moan”
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Taoism in the Tang and Song dynasties
Taoism is an indigenous Chinese religion. Tao is often translated as “way” or “path.” The teachings of Taoism advocate following the "way" and integrating with the natural world. Its legendary founder was Laozi, who lived in the sixth century B.C.E. However, most scholars believed that the real history of Taoism is rooted in indigenous religion of the second century and that it developed rapidly along with the advancement of Buddhism. Taoism developed its own unique meditation techniques. Taoists also had a particular interest in the pursuit of immortality and alchemy. As in the West, experiments in these pursuits led to unanticipated advances in chemistry and physics.
Chinese symbols and concepts commonly encountered in the West associated with Taoism are yin and yang, representing the balance of opposites and the concept of qi as a natural energy running through all existence. The popularity and familiarity of philosophical Taoism in the West in recent decades can even be observed in the plot device of "the force" in the film Star Wars.
During the Tang Dynasty (618–906), Taoism enjoyed special patronage. Because Laozi’s surname is Li, identical to that of the Tang ruling house, the emperors revered Laozi as one of their ancestors and supported the development of Taoism. This support included building Taoist temples and establishing schools to enroll students studying Taoist canons. Under the patronage of the emperors, Taoism flourished in the Tang. Nonetheless, Taoism had to compete with Buddhism for converts. Such competition is reflected in a passage written by Han Yu entitled The Girl of Mt. Hua. It relates how a female Taoist priest, in rivalry with Buddhists, used her charm and eloquence to attract an audience:
In streets east, streets west, they expound the Buddhist canon, clanging bells, sounding conches, till the din invades the palace. The girl of Mount Hua, child of a Taoist home, longed to expel the foreign faith, win men back to the Immortals; she washed off her powder, wiped her face, put on cap and shawl. With white throat, crimson cheeks, long eyebrows of gray, she came at last to ascend the chair, unfolding the secrets of Truth.
(Translated by Burton Watson, from the Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry)
From this text, we learned that monks customarily traveled far and wide to preach their doctrines, causing unease among Taoists. In this instance, a female Taoist engaged herself among the field of proselytizers and won over the monks. However, generally speaking, during the Tang dynasty Buddhism was more influential than Taoism. In the waning years of the Tang, Taoism experienced a setback.
However, in the Song (960–1279) dynasty, Taoism recovered and reached the height of its popularity during the reign of Emperor Huizong (1100–1125). Emperor Huizong invited Taoist priests to his court to teach him Taoist alchemy. He appointed famous Taoist teachers to high positions in the government. He established Taoist temples across the empire. He also constantly performed Taoist rituals in his palace. The emperor went so far as to declare himself to be the personal protector of Taoism. To defeat Taoism's rivals, he at one point used his authority to ban Buddhism. The emperor’s zeal influenced his ministers, and many of the high officials at court likewise showed an interest in Taoism. The reign of Huizong was the heyday of Taoism in China. Taoism persists as an important religion in contemporary China.
Written by Zhaoyang Zhang.
Want to join the conversation?
- Is it true that George Lucas based "the Force" in the Star Wars universe off of Chinese Taoism?(6 votes)
- Yes, but modified to be more western.The light and Dark sides along with the force represent yin and yang and the powers of cultivating qi.(1 vote)
- I thought Taoism and Buddhism went along-side each other in peace.(1 vote)
- I am owning i very old mythological painting and i want to learn what does it mean and what the painting represent(1 vote)