《历代崇道记》

King Mu of Zhou built temples on Mount Kunlun, Mount Wangwu, Mount Song, Mount Hua, Mount Tai, Mount Heng, Mount Hengshan, Mount Zhongnan, Mount Kuaiji, Mount Qingcheng, Mount Tiantai, Mount Luofu, Mount Kongtong, and other mountains to honor the Queen Mother of the West, a legendary female immortal. Over time, he had more than five thousand people ordained as Daoist priests.

After Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he gathered fangshi—people skilled in occult arts—and took a keen interest in the arts of longevity. He sent envoys to Penglai in search of the elixir of immortality. He built more than a hundred temples and had over seventeen hundred people leave ordinary life to become Daoist priests.

Emperor Wen of Han and Empress Dowager Dou both favored the teachings of Huang-Lao, a doctrine of governance and cultivation that honored the ideas of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. They built seventy-two temples and decreed throughout the realm that no one unfamiliar with the Huang-Lao classics could be appointed to office. Emperor Wen also personally visited the Elder of the Riverside, a legendary Daoist sage, to ask about the essential meaning of the Dao De Jing. As a result, the realm was governed very well. During this period, more than a thousand people were ordained as Daoist priests.

Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Dowager Dou both favored the teachings of Huang-Lao. They built seventy-two temples and decreed throughout the realm that no one unfamiliar with the Huang-Lao classics could be appointed to office. They also personally visited the Elder of the Riverside to ask about the essentials of the Dao and De. As a result, the realm was governed very well. During this period, more than a thousand people were ordained as Daoist priests.

Emperor Xiaowu was a devout believer in Daoism. The Queen Mother of the West appeared in his palace and gave him five silver statues, saying that they were true likenesses of the Most High Lord Lao. Emperor Xiaowu built three halls to enshrine them. Later, he moved the statues first to the Cypress Beam Terrace, then to Ganquan Palace, where they were enshrined together in a single hall with a seat facing south. From then on, statues were customarily enshrined with seats facing south. He also had several princesses enter the Daoist path and had more than five thousand people ordained as Daoist priests. He built over three hundred Daoist temples. Among these, the Longevity Temple on Mount Song, the Mount Tai Fengshan Temple, the Assembly of Immortals Temple on Mount Hua, the Gazing Toward the Spirits Temple on Mount Zhongnan, and the Reaching Heaven Temple on Mount Wangwu were reserved for the imperial household and barred to commoners; they served as models for Daoist temples. The Longevity Temple had originally been a palace used when the emperor traveled through the region. After hearing voices calling from the mountain, the emperor gave up the palace and converted it into a Daoist temple.

During the reign of Emperor Xuandi, Li Dan, an assistant administrator in Shangdang Commandery responsible for documents and the assessment of officials, entered Mount Baodu to gather medicinal herbs. In a stone chamber, he discovered more than forty scrolls of heavenly texts, along with a jade box and a jade staff. Later, an imperial traveling palace was also converted into a Daoist temple.

During the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, Li Dan, an administrative officer in Shangdang Commandery, climbed Baodu Mountain to gather medicinal herbs. In a stone chamber he discovered more than forty scrolls of heavenly writings, along with a jade box and a jade staff. He presented them to Zhang Chun, the governor of Hedong Commandery, who immediately sent them to the imperial court. When Emperor Xuan saw the writings, he was deeply shaken and could not hold back his tears. He then ordered that they be shown to officials both inside and outside the court.

At the time, Ran Gui, a Gentleman Attendant in charge of documents, also wept when he saw the heavenly writings. “These are the final instructions Emperor Wu left before his death,” he said. “He ordered them placed in his coffin. How did they come to be here?” When they examined the end of the scrolls, they found the names of officials who had collated them, some of whom were still alive. Emperor Xuan therefore sent envoys to Maoling to inspect the tomb and found it untouched.

Emperor Xuan built two Daoist temples in honor of the late emperor: one within Chang’an and the other near Maoling. He appointed twenty Daoist priests to oversee the incense offerings and rites.

Later, the Red Eyebrows rebelled and looted Maoling. They found only a sword in the coffin and were about to take it when it suddenly gave a roar and flew up into the sky. After Emperor Guangwu, the founding emperor of the Later Han, put down Wang Mang’s rebellion and restored order to the realm, he completed the Eastern Fengshan rites and held commemorative rites for the eleven emperors of his dynasty. He also built 120 Daoist temples in Nanyang, Chongling, at famous mountains and rivers throughout the land, and in places such as Chang’an and Luoyang, appointing 1,800 Daoist priests.

Emperor Ming of Wei built thirteen Daoist temples in the five capitals in honor of Emperor Wu and the late Empress Dowager, appointing 109 Daoist priests. He issued an edict that the Daoist books used by the priests should be decorated in the same manner as the books used by the imperial censors. Sun Quan, ruler of Wu, built the Tongbai Abbey on Mount Tiantai and had Ge Xuan live there. He also built the Chongfu Abbey at Fuchun to honor his parents, the Xingguo Abbey at Jianye, and the Jingyang Abbey on Mount Mao. In all, he built thirty-nine Daoist temples and appointed 800 Daoist priests. Emperor Wu of Jin built four Daoist temples in Luoyang—the Tongtian, Dongtian, Lingxian, and Lingbao temples—and a total of 200 across the provinces.

In the final years of the Northern Wei, a divine being appeared in Lintao Commandery, Longyou. He stood three zhang tall, wore white robes, had white hair draped over his shoulders, and a golden crown on his head. Appearing in Xiangwu County, he said to a local man named Wang Shi, “Before long, peace will prevail throughout the realm.” Later, Emperor Wu accepted the abdication and ascended the throne, and the realm was indeed unified. The emperor ordered the construction of the Guoping Monastery at the place where the divine being had appeared. That site was also the former residence of Li Zong. The emperor also admitted seven people into the Daoist clergy. Together with those admitted before and afterward, the total number of Daoist clergy was 472.

At that time, the bank of Linping Lake in Wu Commandery collapsed, and people discovered a stone drum. The emperor sent an envoy to bring it to him and asked Zhang Hua, Minister over the Masses, “What is this used for?” Zhang Hua replied, “If you carve a paulownia wood mallet in the shape of a whale and strike it, the sound can be heard several li away.” During the reign of Emperor Hui, the stone drum suddenly began to sound repeatedly at night in the palace. The emperor greatly disliked this, so he ordered it sent to the Wansui Monastery on Mount Song, where it was struck to gather the people. This practice began from then on.

Later, Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei built Daoist monasteries in Yunzhong, Taiyuan, and the region north of the Yellow River, fifty in all, and admitted more than 600 Daoist clergy. Emperor Taiwu ordered the construction of 275 Taiping Monasteries throughout the realm and admitted 11,300 Daoist clergy. After the emperor received the talismanic mandate, he changed the era name to “Taiping Zhenjun” and ordered officials and commoners across the four quarters to address him in petitions as “His Majesty, the Taiping Zhenjun Emperor.” Thereafter, each succeeding emperor also received talismans and registers.

Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou built the Tongxuan Monastery in Chang’an to receive those who practiced the Dao. Emperor Gaozu Wen of the Sui moved the capital to Longshou Plateau, named the capital city Daxing, and built 36 Daoist monasteries in the capital and nearby, calling them “Mysterious Altars.” He admitted 2,000 Daoist clergy.

After Emperor Yang of Sui moved the capital to Luoyang, he built twenty-four Daoist temples in the city and nearby, and had 1,100 people enter the Daoist clergy.

In the thirteenth year of the Daye era under the Sui, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan (temple name Gaozu, posthumous title Emperor Shengyao Dasheng Daguang Xiao) said that he had received a spiritual response from the Spirit of Mount Huo. The spirit claimed to be acting on the command of the Most High Lord Lao and told Duke Tang Li Yuan, “One day, you will surely gain the realm.” In the first year of the Wude era under the Tang, the court established four Daoist temples and ordained 1,100 people as Daoists.

That same year, a man dressed in white, wearing a golden crown and riding a white horse appeared on Mount Yangjiao in Fushan County, Jinzhou. He told Ji Shanhang to relay this message to Li Yuan: “You have now received the Mandate of Heaven to govern the realm. You may build a Temple of Anhua east of Chang’an and enshrine an image of the Dao there. Then the state will enjoy lasting stability, and the realm will be pacified.”

Ji Shanhang asked, “What proof can I take with me when I go to see the Son of Heaven?” The Most High Lord Lao replied, “Just go. If someone presents a stone tortoise, that will serve as proof.” Ji Shanhang then told He Junxiaoyi, the governor of Jinzhou, about the matter. He Junxiaoyi took him to see Prince of Qin Li Shimin, and gave a detailed account of the divine figure’s appearance. After hearing it, the assembled ministers bowed and offered congratulations.

The court then sent Du Ang, commander of the Left Guard, and Ji Shanhang to the place where the divine figure had appeared to make an offering. The Most High Lord Lao appeared again, just as Ji Shanhang had described. Pointing his whip at Du Ang, he asked, “Who are you?” Du Ang replied, “I am an envoy of the Prince of Qin.” The Most High Lord Lao said, “I neither eat nor drink, so what use are the offerings? I will have someone convey all the details.” When Du Ang returned and reported that the divine figure had appeared again, the Prince of Qin was very pleased. He ordered Du Ang to take Ji Shanhang to the capital to submit the report.

When they arrived in the capital, arrangements had not yet been settled when Zhang Da, an administrative officer in Qiuzhou, duly presented a stone tortoise. Inscribed on it were the words: “The realm will be at peace, descendants will prosper, and the lineage will continue for ten thousand years and ten thousand generations.”

Shanxing entered the palace to meet Gaozu and deliver his report. Gaozu was delighted. He issued an edict appointing Shanxing as a Court Gentleman for Attendance at Court and awarded him one hundred bolts of silk. Gaozu then ordered the Palace Secretary Liu Xian to build a temple on Yangjiao Mountain. Fushan County was renamed Shenshan County, and Yangjiao Mountain was renamed Longjiao Mountain.

The Supreme One—here referring to the Supreme Lord Lao—appeared again and asked Shanxing, “Is the Son of Heaven pleased?” Shanxing replied, “Very pleased.” The Supreme One asked, “What does he still doubt?” Shanxing replied, “He simply does not know the sage’s name.” The Supreme One said, “I am the supreme immortal. My surname is Li, and my title is Lord Lao. I am the one. I am the ancestor of the emperors. My biography appears in the Records of the Grand Historian. At my ancestral temple in Guyang County, Bozhou, a dead cypress has sprouted new branches and leaves; this can serve as proof. I have already ordered Duke Dan of Zhou to lead divine troops and help the state attack Liu Heichuang. When the fourth month’s festival arrives, he will be defeated.”

Xiaoyi again ordered Shanxing to enter the palace and deliver a report. Gaozu then commanded Shanxing to ride a relay horse to the army at Luoyang and announce and convey the Supreme One’s instructions. Later, Heichuang was indeed subdued, the realm was pacified, and the dead cypress grew again. Gaozu therefore renamed the temple Qing Tang Monastery. It still contains a stele inscribed in the Xuanzong Emperor’s own hand, as well as portraits of sage rulers from successive generations.

In the third year of Wude, Gaozu issued an edict appointing Wang Yuanzhi, a Daoist priest from Jinyang, as a Court Gentleman for Attendance at Court. He also bestowed on him a gold-threaded cap and a purple silk cloud-cloak, honoring his prediction that Gaozu would receive the Mandate of Heaven. Taizong later further appointed Wang Yuanzhi as Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Azure Ribbon, also in recognition of his prophecy. This was the first time a Daoist priest was granted purple robes.

In the second year of Longshuo under Gaozong, an edict ordered Xu Lishi, Governor of Luo Prefecture and Duke of Qiao, to build the Shangqing Palace on Yu Mountain to guard the Immortals’ Cavern of Ghosts. During the excavation, an ancient stone was discovered. It was said that this had once been the residence of the immortal Bo Zhongli. When construction was complete, the emperor ordered a Zhaijiao purification ritual, and the Supreme One appeared again. The officials submitted a memorial of congratulations, and the emperor was greatly pleased. In the early years of Qianfeng, this place was again said to have been the residence of the immortal Bo Zhongli. When construction was complete, the emperor ordered a Zhaijiao ritual, and the Supreme One appeared once more.

The officials presented congratulatory memorials, and the emperor was delighted. In the early years of the Qianfeng era, after completing the Fengshan rites, the emperor returned to Bozhou and personally paid his respects to the Great High Lord Lao. He reverently bestowed on him the honorific title “Emperor of Primordial Chaos,” and on the Sacred Mother of Lord Lao the title “Empress Dowager of the Primordial Heaven.” He also renamed Guyang County Zhenyuan County. In the capital, he built the Shuming Abbey for Emperor Taizong and Empress Wende. The emperor further ordered that Daoist priests be placed under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court, with their court rank set below that of the princes.

In the first year of the Wenming era, the Empress Dowager (Wu Zetian) planned to make members of the Wu clan princes. The Great High Lord Lao then manifested at Huangtian Plain, Fangxing Ward, Longtai Township, Quexiang County, Haozhou, and sent Hao Chongxuan to convey this message to the Empress Dowager: “The fortunes of the state will endure, and the people will enjoy peace. It is not fitting to act beyond one’s proper station.” The Empress Dowager abandoned the idea and donated the Quexiang palace to establish Fengxian Abbey.

Later, a mountain rose up from the ground in Xin Feng County, reaching three hundred feet in height. Five-colored auspicious clouds appeared above it, and below lay several acres of sacred pools. White cranes and luan phoenixes were seen in the pools, while qilin and lions appeared around them. The Empress Dowager ordered the establishment of Qingshan County. These various auspicious signs were recorded in the Veritable Records of the Empress Dowager, as evidence that the state was flourishing through the virtue of Earth and showing signs of renewal. She also donated Fengtian Palace on Mount Song to establish Songyang Abbey, where offerings could be made on behalf of the Great Emperor Gaozong.

Later, the throne passed to Emperor Zhongzong. In the first year of the Jinglong era, the court ordered every prefecture and commandery throughout the realm to establish a Jinglong Abbey. In the second year of Jinglong, these were renamed Zhongxing Abbeys; in the third year, they were renamed Longxing Abbeys. The ordination of Daoist priests at these abbeys followed the precedents of earlier dynasties.

Emperor Ruizong donated his residence in the Eastern Capital to establish Jingyun Abbey, and his residence in Taiyuan to establish Tanglong Abbey, where prayers and memorial rites could be offered on behalf of the Emperor of Heaven and the Empress Dowager. During the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong ordered every circuit to establish a Kaiyuan Abbey. He also composed the “Hymn to Primordial Chaos,” which he wrote in his own hand and had carved on stone steles. In addition, he ordered True Lord temples to be established on the Five Sacred Mountains.

He also ordered the construction of the Taiqing Palace in the Upper Capital (Chang’an) and the Taiwei Palace in the Eastern Capital (Luoyang). The former residence of the Divine Yao in Taiyuan was converted into the Ziwei Palace, and the former residence of the Hidden Dragon in Di Prefecture into the Qisheng Palace. Each of these temples was furnished with ceremonial robes and crowns, crimson gauze, curtains, and halberds bearing intertwined dragons at the gates, with fittings to match the imperial palaces.

The emperor also wrote a commentary on the Daode Jing, along with a preface and citations, and issued an edict ordering every household of scholars and commoners throughout the realm to keep a copy. Daoist communities from the two main streets, accompanied by ceremonial banners, music, and dance, escorted the imperial edict from the palace precincts to the Taiqing Palace. Incense and flowers filled the route in a display rarely seen in recent times.

The emperor then established the Daoist examinations, a system for selecting Daoist talent modeled on the Ministry of Rites examinations. He personally posed questions, and many candidates demonstrated a command of scriptural meaning and answered with confidence.

Later, Puzhou reported that, while the Ziji Palace was being built, a piece of jade had been unearthed. Shaped like a half moon, it bore an engraving of an immortal pounding medicine. When struck, it rang with a clear, far-reaching tone. The emperor ordered it hung in the courtyard of the Xuanyuan Temple in Taiyuan and named it the “Crescent Moon Chime.”

Zhang Qi, the Eastern Capital’s prefectural governor, reported that when the ancient Xianju Temple in Lushan County, Ruzhou, was being repaired, a piece of jade-like stone had been found. When struck, its sound carried for several miles. The emperor ordered it hung in the courtyard of the Ancestral Sage Temple at the Taiqing Palace.

When a Daoist temple was being built in Quzhou, workers digging the ground found a fish-shaped object three feet long. It looked like iron, with a faint purple-green tint, yet gleamed like green stone. Its carving was so fine that it seemed almost impossible for human hands to have made it. When struck, it rang loudly, though no one could say what kind of fish it represented. An envoy brought it to the emperor as an offering. The emperor summoned the officials to examine it, but they could not identify it either. He named it the “Auspicious Fish Chime” and ordered it hung in the Taiwei Palace. It was not to be struck except during lectures on the scriptures and the performance of purification rites.

From then on, Daoist temples throughout the realm competed to make wooden and stone chimes in imitation, using them to summon people. The emperor also informed the officials that from then on, all Daoist temples throughout the realm would be under the authority of the chancellors and the military governors of their respective circuits, as a permanent rule.

The emperor also composed the “Melody of Rainbow Skirts and Feathered Robes” and the “Dance of the Purple Tenuity and Eight Trigrams.” He held sacrificial offerings at the Taiqing Palace, a Daoist temple dedicated to the Most High Lord Lao, to show that Daoist rites of sacrifice differed from those performed at the Nine Ancestral Temples, the imperial shrines for honoring ancestors.

While traveling east to perform the feng sacrifice, the emperor found three-ridged mao grass in the Jiang-Huai region, an auspicious plant used in ancient rites. He ordered a Lingmao Abbey built where it had been discovered. After the rites concluded, he returned to the Shengzu Ancestral Palace in Bozhou to pay his respects to the Sacred Ancestor. In his own hand, he carved the Dao De Jing onto stone, making a great stele, and built an octagonal pavilion over the Hall of Empty Origin.

Later, the emperor visited the Kaiyuan Abbey in Huaizhou and the Fengxian Abbey in Quexiang. At the request of princes, ministers, and the people, he also carved scriptures in his own hand, set up large stones in pairs, and built octagonal pavilions over them, all following the design of the Taiqing Palace. He then issued an edict granting Hao Xuanchong the title of Prefect of Haozhou.

On the fifth day of the fourth month in the summer of the seventeenth year of the Kaiyuan era, Zhang Jingzhong, senior administrator of the Grand Governor’s Office in Yizhou, submitted a report. He stated that the Great Sage Ancestor, Emperor Hundyuan, that is, the Most High Lord Lao, had appeared within his jurisdiction at the Jingxing Nunnery in Xinjin County, Shuzhou. The grain of the wooden pillars in the Buddhist hall had naturally formed an image of the Most High Lord Lao. Above the image’s head was a canopy; before and behind its feet were cloudlike leaves and celestial flowers, appearing in thirteen places. Zhang Jingzhong sent Wang Dazhong, a staff officer in the Yizhou administration, to investigate and confirm the report. Li Zhongxun, governor of Yizhou; Lu Fang, assistant governor; Li Shao, county magistrate; and 130 Daoist priests, monks, and nuns all gave the same testimony. Only then did Zhang dare to submit his report.

On the twenty-fourth day of the fifth month, the emperor ordered the palace attendant Lin Zhaoyin to bring the pillar bearing the image to the capital, where it was enshrined in the Great Harmony Hall. He also ordered it to be displayed for seven days at Daoist temples in the market districts of both capitals, after which it was to be brought into the palace. It has been preserved there ever since. Many auspicious omens appeared before and after these events, too numerous to record one by one.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the twenty-ninth year of the Kaiyuan era, Tian Tongxiu, a military aide in the Prince of Chen’s residence, suddenly saw a purple cloud rise above a tower to the northwest, outside Danfeng Gate. He also saw Hunyuan riding a white horse, accompanied by two young attendants. One of them said to Tian Tongxiu, “Long ago, as Yin Xi and I were about to enter the shifting sands, I hid a box of sacred talismans in Yin Xi’s former residence at the old pass in the Peach Grove. You may ask the emperor to send someone to retrieve them.”

Tian Tongxiu submitted a detailed report of the incident. The emperor promptly ordered the palace eunuch Li Zhizhong to accompany him to search the ruins of the old Hangu Pass, twelve li south of Taolin County in Shaanzhou. Before long, a purple cloud and a white rabbit appeared beneath a dead mulberry tree. The group began digging at once. When they reached the water’s edge, they found a stone container, a golden coffer, and a jade tablet, all inscribed in tiny seal script with vermilion ink.

The emperor was delighted by the news. He ordered the capital’s ten orchestras to perform and arranged singers, dancers, and a ceremonial procession with drums and wind instruments. The sacred talismans were placed in a jeweled carriage and brought into the capital through Tonghua Gate. They shone with five-colored light, illuminating heaven and earth. Wearing his dragon robe and holding a golden censer, the emperor ascended Danfeng Tower. The palace consorts also burned incense and scattered flowers on the tower, bowing from afar to the talismans. The emperor then ordered gold coins scattered below the tower for the people to take, so that all could celebrate together. Soon, cries of celebration throughout the capital rang out in every direction. The emperor commanded that the talismans be enshrined in Lingchang Hall. That night, divine lamps appeared above the towers and among the trees.

On the first day of the first lunar month, the emperor renamed the thirtieth year of the Kaiyuan era the first year of the Tianbao era, and changed Taolin County’s name to Lingbao County. Three years later, the emperor saw the words “Tianbao for a thousand years” on the talismans. Taking this as confirmation of the era name Tianbao, he changed the era name once more, to Tianbao Zai.

Xuanzong then had the Changle Pavilion and Tianbao Temple built at that site. He personally drew and inscribed the talisman, carved its inscription in stone, and set it up where the talisman had been found. He also built the Hall of the Talisman in the palace and granted Tongxiu a regular official post of the fifth rank. The chancellor requested that Xuanzong be granted the honorific title “Kaiyuan Tianbao Divine and Martial,” and after the emperor approved it, he proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm.

In the intercalary fourth month of that year, Xuanzong dreamed that Hun Yuan—a Daoist honorific for the Dao or for Lord Lao—said to him, “I have long been in the area southwest of the city. I should meet you at Xingqing Palace. You may come to welcome me as soon as possible.” Xuanzong told the chancellors Li Linfu and Niu Xianke, “I have governed the realm for nearly thirty years. Every day, I rise at the fifth watch, put on my court robes, and pay my respects before the sacred image, praying for the people’s welfare. Recently, while dozing, I dreamed of Hun Yuan, who told me these things.”

Xuanzong sent the palace attendant and Daoist ceremonial official Xiao Xuanyu to search the southwest of the capital. Several days later, they saw purple clouds rising among the valleys of Louguan Mountain and white light shooting straight into the sky. Searching beneath the clouds and light, they indeed found a jade statue of Lord Lao, more than three feet tall, and immediately presented it to the emperor. That day Xuanzong was at the Great Unity Hall in Xingqing Palace. He personally welcomed and bowed before the statue, matching the dream’s words that they would meet at Xingqing. Xuanzong enshrined the jade statue in a palace hall, ordered the relevant officials to have its likeness painted and distributed to Daoist palaces and temples throughout the realm, and once again proclaimed a general amnesty.

In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, Xuanzong dreamed that Hun Yuan said, “My efficacy will soon manifest in person.” Later, people found a talisman and a jade tablet on Mount Taibai. After these were retrieved and brought to the capital, Xuanzong enshrined them in the Hall of the Talisman. He then bestowed on the deity of Mount Taibai the title “Duke of Efficacious Response,” renamed the cave where the talisman had been found “Auspicious Omen Cave,” established Zhenfu County at the foot of the mountain, and ordered every circuit to establish a Zhenfu Temple. These events, too, were entered into the histories.

In the twelfth month of that year, Xuanzong went to Huaqing Palace. Before dawn on the fourth day, strange clouds suddenly appeared over the summit of Mount Li. After a while they parted, and the Sacred Ancestor Hun Yuan—Lord Lao, revered as the founder of Daoism—appeared above the Pavilion for Paying Homage to the Origin. Xuanzong and the palace consorts gazed up and bowed for a long time; then the figure vanished.

The emperor issued an edict renaming Huichang County Zhaoying County and transferring Xinfeng County to its jurisdiction. According to legend, the Sacred Ancestor of Primordial Unity (a Daoist honorific for Laozi) appeared above the Pavilion for Paying Homage to the Origin. The emperor and the women of the palace gazed up and worshipped for a long time, until the Sacred Ancestor of Primordial Unity vanished. The emperor then issued an edict renaming Mount Huichang Mount Zhaoying, conferring on its mountain god the title Duke Xuande, and renaming the Pavilion for Paying Homage to the Origin the Pavilion of the Holy Descent. Images were painted in the palace, distributed throughout the realm, and entrusted to the court historians for the record.

In the eighth year, the emperor obtained twenty-seven jade statues of immortals in Luochuan County, Ningzhou. He ordered them brought to the capital, with the ceremony following in full the rites used to welcome and venerate the Lingbao talisman in the early Tianbao era. The emperor personally composed an encomium. He then renamed Luochuan County Zhenning County and built the Abbey of Communion with the Holy Ones at the place where the jade statues had been found. The emperor composed an inscription and erected a stele; both the event and the inscription are still preserved.

In the sixth month of that year, a jade fungus, regarded as an auspicious sign, grew in the Hall of Great Harmony. The emperor built the Abbey of the Golden Immortal and the Abbey of the Jade Fungus, and had two princesses leave lay life and become Daoist nuns. Li Hun, a man of Mount Taibai, reported that he had seen the Sacred Ancestor of Primordial Unity. He also said that a jade tablet stone in the Golden Star Grotto bore auspicious talismanic writing foretelling the blessings and longevity of the sacred emperor. The emperor ordered Wang Bing, Vice Director of the Censorate, to investigate. Wang Bing traveled more than four hundred li through the mountain valleys and at last found the jade tablet stone. The emperor displayed this auspicious object to officials inside and outside the court and built the Abbey of the Numinous Talisman at the site.

On the bingyin day of the intercalary sixth month, the emperor went to the Taiqing Palace, a Daoist temple dedicated to Laozi, bestowed honorific titles on the Five Sages, and ordered statues of Confucius and four of his disciples made to stand in attendance before the statue of the Sacred Ancestor of Primordial Unity. He also ordered an Abbey of the Jade Fungus established in the major prefectures of the Ten Circuits and granted a general amnesty.

In the ninth year, Wang Xuanyi, a man of Mount Taibai, reported that the Great Emperor of Primordial Unity had descended and appeared to him, telling him that a wondrous treasure and true talisman lay in the Treasure Immortal Grotto and that the emperor should send people to retrieve it. The emperor dispatched Zhang Jun, Minister of Justice, and Wang Chui, Minister of Works. They indeed retrieved the true talisman, and afterward the Abbey of the True Numinous was built there.

In the first month of the thirteenth year, the emperor went to the Taiqing Palace, a Daoist temple dedicated to the worship of the Most High Lord Lao, to pay his respects. He also bestowed on Hunyuan, an honorific title for the Most High Lord Lao, the title “Great Sage, High Ancestor, Supreme One of the Great Dao, Golden Gate, Hunyuan, Heavenly Emperor.” The five sages each received additional posthumous titles as well. The emperor bestowed on himself the title “Sagely, Cultured and Martial Emperor of the Proof of the Dao, Filial Piety and De, Who Opened the Origin of Heaven and Earth and Holds the Great Treasure,” and granted a general amnesty throughout the realm.

In the fifteenth year, the emperor traveled to Shu. Hunyuan appeared on the bank of the Black River in Sanquan County, Hanzhong Commandery. The emperor went there in person to pay homage, then ordered a stone stele to be erected at the site of the appearance, bearing a carved image of the sage. Later, on a mountain ridge in Yichang County, Lizhou, the emperor again saw Hunyuan riding past on a white guard. This was taken as an omen that An Lushan would be subdued. The emperor issued an edict naming the mountain White Guard Ridge and establishing a Ziran Temple, a Daoist temple, at the site of the appearance. He also built the Xing Tang Temple on Mount Song and the Fu Tang Temple in Chengdu.

On the eighteenth day of the third month in the second year of the Zhide era under Emperor Suzong, Hunyuan appeared at Yunlong Rock in Tonghua Commandery. At first, local people held a large Zhaijiao purification ritual to pray for the state. On the eighteenth day, mist suddenly filled the area, and a wondrous fragrance lingered for a long time. At the hour of Chen, the clouds and mist gradually parted, divine light illuminated the sky, and everyone saw Hunyuan’s true image standing before the mountain, seeming to reach from the ground to the heavens. He was dressed entirely in white, with his left hand lowered and a Five Radiance Fan, used in Daoist rituals, in his right. His appearance was clear and solemn. Everyone gazed up at him and bowed together. Though the mountain was high, it reached only to the image’s elbow. After a long while, the image faded from view. A detailed report of the event was then submitted to the throne. The palace brought out an image, and the Retired Emperor personally composed a eulogy and preface. Since the text is lengthy, it is not copied here. The account was entered into the historical records and circulated throughout the realm.

In the second year of the Qianyuan era, the emperor dreamed at night that two blue-haired immortals’ attendants were leading a retinue to a palace gate, where they paid their respects to Hunyuan.

Hunyuan—the primal Dao revered in Daoism, also used here to refer to Laojun—wore robes like clouds and rosy mists and a crown adorned with nine phoenixes. He sat on a square mat, with a jeweled canopy hanging above his head. Leaning against a jade table, he held a white horsetail whisk. A great many attendants stood around him: perfected beings, jade maidens, immortal boys, and the strongmen of the Five Heavens. The emperor, dressed in a deep red ceremonial robe and holding a jade tablet, stood behind Hunyuan in attendance. Hunyuan traveled across mountains and seas, journeying very far. The emperor recorded each detail.

The emperor also saw that Hunyuan’s beard and hair were entirely black. At dawn, he ordered officials from both streets to search for auspicious images connected with the vision at the Shengzu Court of Guangtian Abbey in Wuben Ward. They found an image of Laojun with a black beard. Once the image had been painted, it was presented to the emperor, who was delighted and said it was exactly as he had seen in his dream. The court then commissioned a portrait of the emperor standing in attendance behind Hunyuan, distributed it throughout the realm, and ordered that it be widely enshrined.

In the early years of Emperor Daizong’s reign, eight treasures were discovered in Anyi County, Chuzhou. The county was therefore renamed Baoying, and Baoying Abbey was built where the treasures had been found. The era name was then changed to Baoying, Year One, and a general amnesty was declared.

In the tenth year of the Zhenyuan era under Emperor Dezong, Hunyuan secretly sent the Golden Mother (Queen Mother of the West) to descend repeatedly upon Mount Jinquan in Guozhou. She taught the art of refining blackness and entrusted it to the female Daoist practitioner Xie Ziran. Xie mastered the practice and ascended to heaven in broad daylight on the sixteenth day of the tenth month that year. Three months later, she returned to the human world and told Prefect Li Jian, “In heaven there is a highest Jade Hall where Laojun dwells. The names of the immortals are inscribed on its walls, with their former identities in the human world noted beside them. Some were once emperors, others chief ministers. When immortals enter to pay their respects to Laojun, they must perform the four bows.” After speaking, Xie Ziran ascended to heaven once more.

In the first month of the second year of the Baoli era under Emperor Jingzong, the emperor went to the southern outskirts to perform sacrifices, then proceeded to the Taiqing Palace to pay homage and make offerings.

As the emperor’s procession was about to arrive, Zheng Weng, a registrar in Chang’an County, suddenly saw the Old Lord dressed in white, with an extraordinary appearance. The Old Lord said to him, “There is a well on this road. Fill it in at once, or an unforeseen disaster will follow.” Alarmed, Zheng Weng turned to look and saw that the ground had already begun to sink slightly. He immediately gathered people to fill in the well, and then the Old Lord disappeared.

After the emperor arrived, Zheng Weng reported the matter in detail. The officials offered their congratulations. The emperor ordered Wei Chuhou, Vice Minister of War, to compose an inscription, and Liu Gongquan, a Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, to write it. They erected the stele where the well had been filled in and entered the event in the official history.

On the eighteenth day of the twelfth month that year, Liu Gongquan was writing the inscription when a sudden strong wind arose and the maple trees began to sway violently. Then they saw Hunyuan—a Daoist honorific for the Old Lord—dressed in purple, wearing a golden crown and golden shoes, and standing on a white lotus. He held a Five-Brilliance Fan, a Daoist ceremonial fan, in his right hand, while his left hand hung naturally at his side. Golden light shimmered in the air around him. Liu Gongquan and the stone carvers watched for a long time, then used an object to sketch on the ground what they had seen. Once they had finished, Hunyuan suddenly pointed his fan toward the sky. The light scattered in all directions, and he rose into the air. The people turned and gazed upward, watching him fly farther away and grow smaller until he finally vanished into the clouds. They reported the event to the court. The emperor issued an edict ordering that it too be carved into the stele, and commanded that Yan Tang Monasteries be built in the two capitals, Chang’an and Luoyang.

In the fifth month of the second year of the Kaicheng era under Emperor Wenzong, Gao Yuanyu, a Secretariat Drafter, was appointed prefect of Banzhou. Eight or nine li north of the prefectural town, before a small hill on the banks of the Jialing River, he suddenly saw an unusual glow among the cliffs. On approaching to inspect it, he found that the surface of the rock had naturally formed a true image of the Old Lord. Its eyebrows, hair, folds of its robe, headcloth, shoes, and clothing were all clearly and completely defined.

Beside him stood another figure, dressed in a wide robe with flowing sleeves and holding an incense burner, as if offering incense. Behind him followed a young attendant, his hair tied high in two knots, listening respectfully to his instructions. Such figures could not have been rendered by human hands in painting or sculpture. Whenever Yuanyu prayed, clouds of dark purple vapor rose into the sky. Later, a sacred spring welled up of its own accord. Scholars and commoners came to pray for blessings, and their prayers were answered without delay. The people then carved a stone stele and built a temple to commemorate these auspicious signs. They also made a painting and presented it to the court, requesting that it be entered into the official histories. The court granted their request.

In the first year of the Huichang era under Emperor Wuzong, the court designated the fifteenth day of the second month, the birthday of the Great Sacred Ancestor—the Daoist honorific for Laozi—as the “Festival of the Descent of the Sage.” It ordered the two capitals and all prefectures and circuits throughout the realm to hold purification rites, perform Daoist liturgies, and celebrate with music. Officials were granted three days of unrestricted feasting, except in times of urgent military affairs. This regulation was thereafter observed as a regular practice.

On the tenth day of the ninth month in the tenth year of the Xiantong era under Emperor Yizong, Pang Xun, leader of the rebel forces from Xuzhou, arrived at the Taiqing Palace in Bozhou with more than three thousand followers. That day, over three hundred people north of the palace saw Laozi rise into the air from within it and travel south. Before long, black mist covered the countryside to the south. The rebels lost their way and began killing one another; Pang Xun himself drowned. The rebel forces were destroyed. Li Wei, military governor of Bianzhou and commissioner of the Taiqing Palace, submitted a detailed report of the events to the court.

The court replied: “The foundation of our dynasty is inherited from Hundun, the primordial source of the Dao and the transformation of all things, and the teaching we uphold is one of purity and Wuwei (non-action). Ku County is Laozi’s native place and a site where the sage has manifested his numinous presence. Its palace and temple are magnificent, and divine images have already been enshrined there. Previously, a band of demon-like raiders broke in and set fires, intending to burn down the palace and temple. Yet the clear sky was suddenly shrouded in gloomy mist. The reckless rebels lost their way, scattered across the fields, and were ultimately put to death. On reflection, this mysterious power clearly reveals the protection of the spirits.” The court then issued a prayer document written in blue-green ink for a Daoist purification ritual and appointed Li Wei to make a devout offering of thanks.

The court sent forth a green memorial from the palace, a document addressed to the gods during a Daoist Zhaijiao purification ritual. It also ordered Li Wei to submit a report of thanks with due reverence, and to make the matter known throughout the court and beyond so that the court historians could record it.

In the third month of the thirteenth year of Zhonghe under Emperor Xizong of Tang, Yao Que, prefect of Taizhou, submitted a memorial. He reported that while building a Hall of Lord Lao on Mount Tiantai, he had unearthed a stone casket containing an inscribed document. He presented it to the court and requested that it be placed in the archives and announced throughout the regions. The emperor ordered that this be done.

In the third month of the second year of Guangming, Wang Chongrong, military commissioner of Hezhong, relayed a report from Jinzhou. It said that a lucky vine had once appeared on a tree beside the Hall of Lord Lao at Qingtang Abbey on Mount Longjiao. After withering, it had grown again. According to tradition, after Hundun—the Primordial Origin, or Laozi—manifested during the Wude era, people built a hall between two trees. A year later, a vine suddenly grew on one of the trees. It extended more than ten zhang and flourished far beyond the ordinary. Later, when the Prince of Qi contended for the position of heir, the vine withered. Some ten days later, fresh green leaves sprouted from its tip, and the prince was ultimately defeated and met his end. Thereafter, during upheavals such as Zhongzong’s restoration, the An Lushan Rebellion, and Zhu Ci’s revolt, the vine also withered suddenly, then grew again after a long while.

In the first year of Guangming, Huang Chao entered the capital. That autumn, the vine withered; the following spring, its branches and leaves flourished once more. A new shoot also grew from a nearby tree. Within ten days it had reached more than fifty chi in length, complementing the original vine, and both flourished to an extraordinary degree. The court issued an edict commending the event and had it entered into the official records. From then on, whenever an auspicious sign or strange omen appeared, the court likewise ordered it recorded. The account treats the vine’s return to life as a good omen, taking it to foretell the prosperity of later generations, blessings that would endure, and the transmission of Laozi’s Dao lineage from generation to generation.

While the emperor was staying in western Shu, he received this memorial on the ninth day of the eighth month in the second year of Zhonghe and ordered it read aloud throughout the court and beyond.

On the eleventh day of the third month in the third year, Pan Chou, governor of Bozhou, sent the Daoist priests Ma Hanzhang, Sun Qiqiwu, and others to submit a memorial. It stated that since the fourth year of Qianning, rebel forces had repeatedly raided Zhenyuan County. Their numbers ranged from just over a thousand to more than ten thousand, and they had often eyed the Taiqing Palace, intending to burn and plunder it. Some attacked the prefectural seat; others struck at the county town from the side. The Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) secretly exercised his numinous powers: dense clouds would suddenly gather, dark winds would rise, or thunder, lightning, and hail would descend, repeatedly frustrating the attackers until they were soon defeated and destroyed. The efficacy of the Taiqing Palace thus became even more manifest, and its wondrous powers seemed beyond measure. The court subsequently issued an edict elevating Zhenyuan to a metropolitan county, and presented a prayer memorial written on blue paper (qingci, a document submitted to the celestial deities during a Daoist purification ritual) and held sacrificial rites to give thanks to the gods. The emperor personally bowed low and performed the rites.

On the twelfth day of the eighth month, an edict declared: “The Taiqing Palace in Bozhou is the place where Hundun (a Daoist title for the Dao and its revered deity) descended to be born. It is renowned throughout the world as the ancestral home of the Dao and brings blessings and protection to the imperial house. The palace’s Ninefold Auspicious Wells are clear and reflect the sky, while traces of an immortal deer remain on the trees. Auspicious signs from successive generations have all been recorded, and the responses of recent years have been especially striking. Such a blessed place ought to be restored with dignity and completeness; this pure and tranquil sanctuary must not be left neglected and forlorn.”

Pan Chou governed with skill and had long been shaped by an upright ethos. He also devoted a large share of his official salary to repairing the palace. The courtyards, ponds, beams, doors, and windows were all renovated, while the divine images and murals in the halls were made brighter and more splendid. After consulting the records and investigating the matter, the court deemed his efforts worthy of praise. Hao Chongxuan, a Daoist priest who remained at the palace and served in its ceremonial capacity, was granted a purple robe and the title “Master Ningxuan.” The Daoist priests Ma Hanzhang and Sun Qiqiwu were also granted purple robes. Pan Chou was additionally appointed Grand Master of Splendid Happiness in Gold and Purple and Acting Minister of Works; his other offices remained unchanged.

On the night of the twenty-ninth day of the eighth month that year, the emperor issued an edict ordering Li Teli, a member of the imperial clan, and the Daoist priest Li Yuan to perform a Zhaijiao purification ritual at the Xuanzhong Abbey in Qingyang Market, Chengdu Prefecture, praying for the divine spirits to descend. Tradition holds that this was the former site of Hundun’s birth, a Daoist term for the primordial Qi, or the Dao.

During the ritual, a rainbow suddenly appeared. At first it was only the size of a pellet, but gradually it grew brighter and larger. It emerged from the bamboo grove southeast of the temple’s foundations, leapt down beneath a plum tree to the southwest, then disappeared into the ground, penetrating three feet below the surface. After people dug there, they found a treasure measuring one foot, one inch, and five fen in length, and seven inches and four fen in width. One side was one inch and three fen thick and bore a pattern; the other side was one inch and eight fen thick. It weighed twelve jin. Six characters in ancient seal script were engraved on it, each two inches square and three fen deep. Their strokes were smooth and clear, as if no human hand had carved them. The inscription read: “The Most High pacifies calamity in an age of harmony.”

On the first day of the ninth month, Chen Jingyi, military governor of Xichuan and Palace Attendant, submitted a memorial: “Your Majesty examines the teachings of antiquity and follows Heaven’s will. Having received the Mandate of Heaven, you govern the age with the Dao foremost in your heart and aspire to unity throughout the world. You therefore tour the regions to show that you are reflecting on your own faults, and practice benevolence so that its blessings reach the people. Your utmost Virtue has risen to Heaven. Heavenly mandates and prophecies have come true, and auspicious signs have appeared one after another. Heaven has sent down an order from the Most High to support and set things right, to quell the rebels and calamities disrupting an age of harmony, and has made its clear message known in ancient seal script. This shows that the baleful forces will soon disperse and that the fortunes of the sacred dynasty will endure. It also allows us to know that the recovery of lost territory is near and that days of peace and tranquility are about to come.”

On the twelfth day, the emperor ordered the matter to be announced to all the officials. Wei Zhaodu, Vice Director of the Secretariat and Chief Councillor; Xiao Gou, Vice Minister of Revenue and Chief Councillor; Zheng Tian, Vice Director of the Chancellery and Chief Councillor; Zhang Du, Censor-in-Chief; and Li Guinian, Minister of the Imperial Clan and heir to the title of Prince Cao, submitted a congratulatory memorial: “We have heard that Cui Pu gathered a following and rebelled, whereupon the emperor toured the regions; and that calamities have afflicted the land, as they have the states of every dynasty.”

The emperor issued an edict, following the example of Shang Tang by reflecting on his own failings. Xiao Gou, Zheng Tian, the Attendant Gentleman of the Menxia and Manager of State Affairs; Zhang Du, Censor-in-Chief; and Gui Nian, heir to the Prince of Cao and Minister of the Imperial Clan, submitted a congratulatory memorial that said:

“Cui and Pu have gathered followers and rebelled, and the emperor has toured the region. Disasters from Heaven have befallen rulers in every dynasty. Your Majesty has issued an edict accepting blame and dispatched troops to suppress the rebels. Now the forces of evil should soon be subdued, signs of peace and order have already appeared, and hidden divine aid has been confirmed by secret texts. How could the auspicious sign of a red sparrow carrying a message compare with the Most High Lord Lao’s revelation? The favorable omen of mysterious Qi bearing the trigrams is even harder to compare with the joy of quelling disorder. Moreover, when members of the imperial clan performed a Zhaijiao purification ritual, a strange light appeared and flickered. These responses may be called unmistakable.”

Li Shunrong, Director of the Privy Council, and Tian Lingzi, Commander-in-Chief of the Twelve Guards of the Ten Divisions, submitted a congratulatory memorial that said:

“Now another member of the imperial clan has come to a Daoist sanctuary. As soon as he expressed his utmost sincerity, an auspicious sign appeared at once. The red light now showing on the ground resembles the purple Qi that appeared when Laozi left through the pass. After the accumulated earth was dug away, ancient writing was indeed discovered. Its strokes flowing freely like dragons and snakes show that the moment is near when the rebellion will be quelled and evil forces swept away. This profound and subtle truth is now quite clear. The Most High Lord Lao has manifested at this time to help quell disorder, showing that the state will enjoy enduring peace and prosperity. This sign of blessing has appeared because traces of the sacred ancestor were uncovered. Now a member of the imperial house has brought forth these efficacious relics, making it clear that this is Heaven’s will. The Primordial Holy Ancestor—a Daoist honorific for Laozi—has repeatedly manifested extraordinary auspicious signs whenever the state has faced grave troubles. These clear portents are recorded in the official histories. In the past, he appeared above Danfeng Gate to foretell to Tian Tongxiu the time when the state would be restored during the Tianbao era. Now at Qingyang Market, the shrine of Laozi, he has revealed to Li Teli the joyful prospect of Your Majesty’s return to the palace. Nothing in all under Heaven could be more worthy of celebration. We ask that this matter be entrusted to the court historians for the record.”

The emperor approved all these requests. On the fifteenth, Li Teli was appointed Collator to the Heir Apparent’s Household, and Li Yuan was granted a purple robe. Each received three hundred bolts of silk.

On the twenty-first day, the emperor issued another edict:

The Supreme Lord, the Great Emperor of the Mysterious Origin (Laozi), once taught the true scripture to his disciple, Master Wen Shi (Yin Xi), at Louguan Terrace. They agreed to meet later at the Green Ram Market, after which they rode together in a cloud-borne carriage into the land of flowing sands.

According to reports and map records, more than two thousand years have passed from the time of King Zhao of Zhou to the present. The scenes of old have long since fallen silent and into ruin; their traces are broken and lost. Now the emperor has journeyed here, and the spirits have made their presence unmistakably clear: strange lights flicker before the courtyard, and numinous talismans have appeared beneath a tree. Their forms are archaic, and their writing is also thought to foretell good fortune. The calamities of the Zhonghe era are about to subside, and the earth has revealed auspicious signs. These events show that Heaven has bestowed its protection and the sacred ancestor has brought good omens. They also foretell that the wars stirred up by bandits will be brought to an end, and that the work of restoring the dynasty will prosper for generations.

These events should be entered into the historical records and proclaimed throughout the realm. The edict has already been entrusted to the court historians for compilation. The relevant text is also to be engraved and announced throughout the circuits and among the armies. The local Daoist monastery may be renamed the Green Ram Palace, and halls and other buildings should be constructed. Some two qing of land near the monastery once belonged to it, but in recent times it was divided and passed into the hands of commoners, who planted onions and garlic there. A quiet Daoist monastery should not be exposed to such pungent odors. Therefore, two hundred strings of cash are to be allocated to redeem the land, and official documents issued to ensure that it belongs to the monastery in perpetuity.

Zongzi Teli has already been appointed to office, and the Daoist Li Yuanwei has also been granted purple robes, an honorary garment bestowed on Daoist priests by the court. Both should be rewarded in recognition of this auspicious manifestation. Jingyi holds high office, and his reputation extends throughout the commanderies and kingdoms. He has remained loyal and steadfast as the fortunes of the state endure, and cultivated his mind in a land of virtue. Thus warfare has subsided within the territory, while treasures have appeared underground. These are fine auspicious signs and especially worthy of commendation. On the seventh day of the tenth month, the high-ranking official Guo Zuntai was ordered to supervise the construction work at the Green Ram Palace, with the expenses to be paid from the imperial treasury.

From the time these auspicious signs and spiritual manifestations appeared, until the guichou day of this month, the bandits who had invaded Shu were captured and executed one after another. In less than a month, order had been restored to the region. The emperor visited Qingyang Palace, a Daoist temple, and bestowed gifts according to rank. Li Teli was given shackles and appointed registrar and aide in the Longzhou prefectural administration, an official responsible for documents and administrative affairs.

The emperor also issued an edict: “The Highest One has sent down auspicious signs, and Qingyang Palace has manifested a spiritual response. The palace and temple should therefore be splendidly restored, in gratitude for this exceptional grace. The Ziji Palaces in the circuits, prefectures, and departments are to be repaired by the local authorities in accordance with regulations, and Daoist priests versed in liturgy (Keyi) are to be selected to conduct sacrificial rites and offerings.”

On the yimao day of this month, the court reported that the capital had been recovered. It declared that this showed the Great Dao had bestowed its favor and the Sacred Ancestor—the ancestor honored by the imperial house—had made his protection manifest, ensuring the lasting foundations of the state and the boundless fortune of the Tang dynasty. The court also ordered Le Penggui, Hanlin academician, chief drafter, minister, vice minister of war, and official in charge of drafting edicts, to compose an inscription and erect a stele. The memorial requested that the matter be proclaimed throughout the realm, to show that the imperial house inherited the bloodline of the immortals and had received a spiritual response from the Highest One, whose blessings could indeed endure for ten thousand generations.

Having now examined and tallied the figures, I find that since the founding of the dynasty, some nineteen hundred Daoist palaces and temples have been built, and about fifteen thousand people have been ordained as Daoist priests. This does not include the residences and estates donated by princes, noblewomen, ministers, and commoners and converted into Daoist temples. From ancient times to our own dynasty, therefore, the emperors’ grand achievements in honoring the Dao are too numerous to recount fully.

Respectfully recorded and submitted on the fifteenth day of the twelfth month of the fourth year of Zhonghe by your servant Du Guangting, Daoist priest in purple, Master of the Great Dao, and court-appointed author at the Taiqing Palace in the Upper Capital.

End of “Record of Successive Dynasties’ Veneration of the Dao.”

Note: “Granted purple” refers to the honor of being granted purple Daoist robes; “Upper Capital” refers to Chang’an, the Tang dynasty capital.