The establishment of Taoism can be traced back to the late Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, society was in turmoil, people's lives were difficult and they were spiritually confused. Many cultural elements such as the pre-Qin Taoist thoughts, the art of immortality, and the theory of yin-yang and the five elements merged with each other, giving birth to Taoism as a religious form. The Way of the Five Pecks of Rice founded by Zhang Daoling was an important early representative. Later, through continuous development and evolution, the number of Taoist sects increased and the system became more and more complete.
Its core thought revolves around "Tao". "Tao" is regarded as the origin and fundamental law of all things in the universe. It is omnipresent yet profound and unfathomable, and it is impossible to fully describe it in words. Taoism advocates conforming to nature and the unity of man and nature, and encourages people to live according to the rhythm of nature so as to achieve a state of harmonious coexistence with heaven and earth. Meanwhile, Taoism has absorbed the dialectical thinking of Taoism, such as the concept of "fortune and misfortune are interdependent", guiding people to view the changes of all things in the world.
Taoist believers have diverse pursuits. Spiritually speaking, they revere many gods such as the Three Purities (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun). Through chanting scriptures, worshiping, and participating in religious rituals such as the Taoist fasts and sacrifices, they express their respect for the gods, pray for the gods' protection, eliminate disasters and difficulties, and obtain spiritual comfort and peace. In terms of life practice, many believers are keen on health cultivation. For example, through the cultivation of internal alchemy to regulate their own essence, qi, and spirit, they hope to prolong their lives, strengthen their bodies, and even aspire to achieve the extraordinary state of becoming immortals, transcending the shackles of the secular world and exploring a higher level of spiritual and life state. In general, Taoism carries profound cultural connotations and influences the lives and spiritual worlds of many believers.