Wudang Taoism is one of the important schools of Chinese Taoism with the same origin as Chinese Taoism in its theology and doctrine. The characteristics of Wudang Taoism are as follows: The main deity of its worship is the God of Zhenwu; emphasizes active substance exercises in vivo; he is more adept at warning disasters with talismanic figures and praying for rain; emphasizes loyalty and filial piety; and it is sustained based on the enlightenment of Confucianism and Buddhism.
During the period from the spring and autumn period (770-476 BC) to the last years of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), Mount Wudang was already an important site. of religious activities. A large number of high officials and noble lords came to Mount Wudang for active cultivation.
Among them were Yin Xi, a high official of the Zhou dynasty (770-221 BC), Dai Meng, a general of Emperor Wudi in the western Han dynasty (206-BC-24 AD) and Ma Mingsheng and Yin Changsheng, both were famous alchemists. . After Taoism was founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), Mount Wudang gradually became a center of Taoist activities in central China. In the period from the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581 AD), hundreds of officials resigned their posts and left their home to refine on Mount Wudang due to the social and political unrest.
In the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), feudal emperors appreciated Wudang Taoism, which spurred the Taoists to continue their efforts to develop the Taoism of Wudang. The emperors of the Tang dynasty considered Lao-tzu as their ancestor, since the emperors and Lao-tzu have the same surname “Li”, so they supported and worshiped Taoism, making Taoism the most important ideology among Confucianism. , Buddhism and Taoism.
It was Yao Jian (the local official in charge of military and administrative affairs) who caused Mount Wudang to receive a special favor from the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty. In the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the country suffered damage from drought and a plague of locusts. The emperor issued an imperial edict in which all religious followers in temples and monasteries were to pray for rain. All of them failed except Yao Jian, who led the Taoists on Mount Wudang to pray for rain.
The emperor was so pleased that he ordered a hall called Five Dragons to be built at the foot of Mount Wudang. At that time, many High Taoists were refining on the mountain, such as Sun Simiao (581-682), Tao You’an, and Lu Dongbin, one of the eight famous immortals. In the last years of the Tang Dynasty, Mount Wudang was listed as the ninth of the Seventy-two Blessed Kingdoms.
In the Song and Yuan dynasties, the feudal rulers held the highest esteem for (the) God of Zhenwu, enhancing the formation and wide dissemination of Wudang Taoism. In the second year of Zhenzong’s reign of the Song dynasty (1018), the emperor conferred the title of “Effective God of the Northern Mansions” on Zhenwu and ordered a statue of Zhenwu to be made on the mountain.
The Hall of the Five Dragons spread to a large temple. Once again, Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty worshiped the God of Zhenwu as the God of the Imperial Court. The famous Taoists of this period were Deng Ruochuo, Fang Changxu, Xie Tiandi, and Sun Jiran, who made great contributions to the development of Wudang Taoism.
In the Yuan dynasty, the imperial rulers granted great favors to Taoism and Mount Wudang became a great service of the imperial court “to pray for longevity and consecration.”
Wudang Taoism had a greater influence on ordinary people, so that thousands of Taoist followers in the country made the pilgrimage to Mount Wudang every year. “The third day of the third lunar month is said to be Zhenwu’s birthday, on which tens of thousands of Taoist followers carrying valuable birthday gifts would go through the valley to Mount Wudang to join in the divine celebration.” Wang Zhenchang, Ye Yunlai, Zhang Shouqing, and other high Taoists took advantage of the situation to expand Taoist organizations. In no time, Mount Wudang became as famous as Mount Dragon and Tiger, another well-known mountain of Heavenly Master Taoism.
In the Ming Dynasty, all the emperors held Mount Wudang in high regard, regarding the place as their “Imperial Ancestral Temple” and embracing Zhenwu in some way as God defending the Kingdom. As a result, Mount Wudang was revered as “the first mount of the immortals in the world”, on top of the five sacred mountains. Mount Wudang had been the center of Taoist activities for about 200 years since then. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, believed in Taoism and the god of Zhenwu, who had exerted great influence over subsequent emperors of the Ming dynasty. It was Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu, who brought Wudang Taoism into a period of full bloom. Zhu Di was the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang and was first conferred as king of the Yan Kingdom, defending North China.
After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eldest grandson, succeeded to the throne. Zhu Di organized an armed rebellion in the name of “ridding the emperor of evil ministers” and eventually took state power from his nephew Zhu Yunwen. To consolidate his power, Zhu Di claimed that it was the God of Zhenwu who had helped his father and himself to seize state power. To pay a debt of gratitude to the God of Zhenwu, in the tenth year of the Yongle reign (1412), Zhu Di sent Zhang Xin (Lord of Longping), Mu Xin (Minister of the Ministry of Rites) and Guo Jin (Live -minister of Ministry of Public Works) to Mount Wudang to take over the construction project. After more than ten years, a huge architectural complex appeared on Mount Wudang, interspersed with 33 sites, including nine palaces and nine temples.
In the last years of the Ming dynasty, emperors, imperial relatives, local officials, and Taoist followers from all four corners of the country strove to expand the complex. To fully control Taoist activities on Mount Wudang, the emperors of the Ming dynasty appointed eunuchs and military governors to oversee Taoist affairs.
Emperor Chengzu chose 400 high-ranking Taoists from Taoist temples across the country and sent them to Mount Wudang as a way to enforce and develop Wudang Taoism. Among the 400 older Taoists, 23 were chosen and conferred the title of “Superintendent” to control Taoist activities in each temple.
The emperor also granted a large area of farmland near the mountain to the Taoist temples and 555 criminals were sent to till the land so that the Taoists would have enough food. In the period of the Jianing reign (1522-1566) of the Ming dynasty there were about 500 Taoist priests and 10,000 official overseers over the Taoist congregation, common Taoists, armed men and artisans on the mountain.
In the Qing Dynasty, the rulers showed more favor to Buddhism than to Taoism, so Wudang’s Taoism gradually declined. However, there were still many Taoist followers among the people who went on pilgrimage to Mount Wudang every year.
In the ROC period, temples and palaces fell into disrepair and Taoist activities almost came to a halt due to the chaos caused by the war and a shortage of funds.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Central Government pursued a policy of freedom of religious belief and normal activities for the Taoists were restored. Especially since 1978, when China began to implement the policy of economic reform and open the door to the outside world, Wudang’s Taoism has taken on a new look. In 1984 the Mount Wudang Taoist Association was founded and the Articles of Regulation of the Mount Wudang Taoist Association were formulated.
In the past 30 years, popular governments at various levels and Taoist organizations have invested heavily in rebuilding and maintaining the Supreme Palace of Harmony, the Palace of Purple Heaven, the Imperial Tabled Pavilion, the Temple of the Terrace of Jade and other buildings in disrepair.
Disquisition of Taoist culture has been carried out and published books on Taoist culture include A Brief History of Wudang Taoism, Mount Wudang, a Pearl of the Historic Tourist Center in China, and The Twelve Canals and Collaterals of the Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor. .
Mount Wudang Taoist Association has conducted Wudang Taoist culture exchanges and Wudang Wushu exchanges with foreign countries and regions such as Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, promoting publicity of Wudang Taoism throughout the world.