Twelve Lectures on Taoist Culture

Author: Xiong Tieji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Once Mr. Lu Xun said, "The roots of China are entirely in Taoism." What does this imply? Mr. Lu Xun's statement indicates that Taoism is a truly indigenous religion deeply rooted in the Chinese land. It is vast and inclusive, accumulating the developmental footprints of Chinese culture from the distant ancient times to the modern era. To understand China is to understand Taoism. Taoist culture, like Confucian culture, is an important part of our traditional culture. — Zhang Jiyu (President of the China Taoism Association)
Taoist thought began with the concept of immortality, a concept absent in other countries in the world. This idea of immortality holds immense importance for science. Taoism not only had theories but also put them into practice, which is why Eastern chemistry, mineralogy, botany, zoology, and pharmacology all trace their origins to Taoism. Without Taoism, China would be like a tree without roots. — Dr. Joseph Needham (British expert in the history of science)
Taoism is an indigenous religion of China, alongside Buddhism and Confucianism, forming the three major religions of China. Taoist culture is an essential part of our traditional culture. This book elaborates on Taoist culture from twelve aspects, edited by Xiong Tieji, Director of the Taoism Research Center at Central China Normal University, and Professor Liu Gusheng, with contributions from Zhang Jiyu (President of the China Taoism Association), Tang Mingbang (Professor at Wuhan University and President of the Hubei Provincial Taoism Academic Association), Xiao Hanming (Professor at Wuhan University), and others.