Daoism & Daoist Thought: Knowledge MapKnowledge Taxonomy · 16 / 75 / 1990

A multi-level classification of every figure, lineage, deity, text, site, term, historical record, region, organization, feature and research resource in this archive. A record may belong to more than one category.

Scope：Complete classification means complete coverage of the current structured dao.jic.io database; it does not claim to exhaust all human knowledge of Daoism and Daoist thought. New records enter the map automatically, and an unclassified record fails data validation.

1990Classified records0Unclassified16Domains75Subcategories

Site 567Figure 320Term 288Text 240Event 179Resource 152School 76Organization 71Region 64Period 14Deity 7Caishen study 6Xuanwu study 5Fengshui study 1

Daoist Thought & Philosophy

道家思想与哲学

From Pre-Qin Lao-Zhuang and Huang-Lao thought to Twofold Mystery, mind-nature, political and life philosophy, while preserving the distinction between philosophical traditions and later Daoist religion.

338 entries

Pre-Qin Lao-Zhuang and Masters 224Huang-Lao Thought 38Mystery, Twofold Mystery & Commentary 66Wuwei, Ziran, Ethics & Politics 118

Doctrine & Cosmology

道教教义与宇宙论

The conceptual framework of Daoist religion: Dao and virtue, yin-yang and the Five Phases, immortality, cosmic cycles, inherited burden and moral retribution.

655 entries

Dao, De and Ziran 231Qi, Yin-Yang, Five Phases & Cosmology 145Immortality, Body-Spirit, Life & Death 342Salvation, Inherited Burden & Moral Retribution 83

History, Institutions & Society

历史、制度与社会

From pre-religious antecedents and Eastern Han communities to modern institutions, linking events, states, temple administration and social change.

583 entries

Periods & Events 193State, Emperors & Daoism 112Clergy, Temples & Institutions 166Modern Transformation & Revival 191

Schools, Lineages & Ritual Traditions

教派、宗派与法脉

Communities, scriptural traditions, orders, branches and local ritual lineages, preserving cases of multiple transmission, synthesis and localization.

76 entries

Early Daoist Movements 17Shangqing, Lingbao & Scriptural Traditions 16Celestial Masters, Zhengyi & Ritual Lineages 23Quanzhen, Internal Alchemy & Branches 18Local & Syncretic Traditions 2

Figures, Patriarchs & Scholars

人物、祖师与学者

Thinkers, founders and transmission patriarchs, alchemical and ritual practitioners, imperial patrons and modern scholars are distinguished by role.

320 entries

Thinkers & Commentators 62Founders & Patriarchs 258Priests, Ritualists & Alchemists 243Rulers, Officials & Patrons 56Scholars, Sinologists & Translators 122

Deities, Immortals & Pantheons

神仙、神谱与信仰

Deities and immortals organized by scriptural pantheon, ritual function and cult history, explicitly marking core, adopted, shared and disputed affiliations.

334 entries

Three Pure Ones, Four Sovereigns & High Deities 55Stellar Deities & Celestial Administration 2Immortals, Perfected & Deified Patriarchs 279Protectors, Thunder Deities & Generals 5Local, Territorial & Underworld Deities 1

Scriptures, Canon & Literature

经典、道藏与文献

Classical Daoist texts, the Three Caverns and Four Supplements, ritual and alchemical works, commentaries, hagiography, extra-canonical books and modern references.

295 entries

Foundational Classics & Early Scriptures 55Daozang, Catalogues & Collections 83Commentaries & Doctrinal Texts 26Ritual, Talismanic & Cultivation Texts 100Hagiography, Miracle Tales & Gazetteers 41Reference & Modern Scholarship 16

Temples, Sacred Geography & Material Culture

宫观、圣地与物质文化

Grotto-heavens, blessed lands, sacred mountains, temples, ancestral seats, grottoes, stelae, murals, images, museums and overseas sites.

567 entries

Grotto-Heavens, Blessed Lands & Sacred Mountains 155Temples, Monasteries & Ancestral Seats 152Architecture, Grottoes, Stelae & Images 339Museums & Collections 12Overseas Temples & Chinese Shrines 231

Ritual, Liturgy & Precepts

斋醮、科仪与戒律

Daily liturgy, retreats and offerings, registers and ordination, precepts, ritual movement and visualization, music, implements and festivals.

410 entries

Retreats, Offerings & Daily Liturgy 251Registers, Ordination, Precepts & Rules 111Ritual Techniques & Invocations 63Music, Implements, Vestments & Altars 52Festival & Communal Rituals 52

Talismans, Thunder Rites & Ritual Arts

符箓、雷法与道术

Talismans, incantations, mudras, ritual registers, thunder rites, exorcistic healing and spirit-writing placed in their textual, lineage and historical contexts.

242 entries

Talismans, Incantations, Mudras & Registers 141Thunder Rites, Shenxiao & Qingwei 90Exorcism, Healing & Protection 69Spirit-Writing & Revelation 19

Cultivation, Longevity & Alchemy

修炼、养生与丹道

From guarding the One, visualization, breath and daoyin to medicine, external and internal alchemy, joint cultivation of nature and destiny, and later martial associations.

468 entries

Internal Alchemy & Joint Cultivation of Nature and Destiny 295External Alchemy & Elixirs 135Meditation, Visualization, Breath & Daoyin 143Medicine, Nourishing Life & Longevity 121Martial Arts & Modern Body-Mind Practice 30

Yijing, Mantic Arts & Traditional Knowledge

易学、术数与传统知识

The history and epistemic boundaries of Yijing studies, astronomy and calendars, sexagenary and stellar systems, fengshui, fate calculation, date selection and divination.

123 entries

Yijing, Trigrams, Hetu & Luoshu 60Astronomy, Stars, Calendars & Sexagenary Cycle 47Fengshui 14Fate Calculation, Date Selection & Divination 15

Popular, Local & Shared Traditions

民俗、地方与共享信仰

Mazu, City Gods, Earth Gods, Guandi, wealth gods and other intersecting traditions, marked as shared, adopted or disputed rather than automatically made Daoist.

475 entries

Deities Shared with Popular Religion 305Local, Occupational & Community Cults 74Festivals, Divine Birthdays & Seasonal Customs 98Syncretism & Boundaries 131

Literature, Arts & Performance

文学、艺术与表演

Daoist literature and poetry, immortality writing, painting and iconography, architecture and gardens, music and theatre, and contemporary media.

374 entries

Literature, Poetry & Immortality Writing 64Painting, Murals, Sculpture & Iconography 111Temple Architecture, Gardens & Spatial Narratives 226Daoist Music, Theatre & Ritual Performance 42Documentary, Film & Digital Storytelling 6

Regional Transmission, Organizations & Living Heritage

地域传播、组织与活态传承

Daoist organizations, sites, migration networks and living-heritage practices across China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Asia and global Chinese communities.

135 entries

Mainland Chinese Regions 31Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan 3East & Southeast Asia 10Europe, Americas, Oceania & Other Diasporas 20Organizations, Education & Living Heritage 71

Scholarship, Museums & Digital Resources

学术研究、博物馆与数字资源

Primary-text databases, universities and institutes, journals and societies, museums and collections, bibliographic tools and public media, with access and rights boundaries.

152 entries

Digital Corpora & Primary-Text Databases 34Universities, Institutes & Scholarly Societies 52Journals & Scholarly Publishing 18Bibliographies, Dictionaries & Research Tools 34Museums, Collections & Documentary Media 14

Classification method

Each record first receives a transparent base classification by entity type: figures, lineages, texts, deities, sites, history, regions and resources remain distinct.
Roles, canonical divisions, lineage and site types, pantheon relationships, glossary classes and subject terms then add cross-category relationships.
Classification is a navigation and discovery tool; it does not replace historical variation, competing scriptural systems, scholarly disputes or source evidence.