How do we make Taoists understand what is Taoism? Just what sort of religion is it? Why did the great Chinese writer Lu Xun say: "The root of the Chinese people is Taoism."According to the Taoist calendar, Taoism dated back 4693 years. It began with the Yellow Emperor (acknowledged as the ancestor of all Chinese people), was propagated by Lao Zi (acknowledged as the originator of the Tao) and became institutionalized as an organized religion by Zhang Dao Ling (acknowledged as the founder of the faith) in the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The essence of this religion includes the millennia of Chinese civilization and folk practices.When the Chinese people continue to practise the culture and custom of their ancestors, they naturally preserve this indigenous religion of Taoism.Taoism as a faith has been passed down as familial traditions through the generations and lacked a well-structured religious organization. Despite that, it has survived till today which, in itself, proves what Lu Xun said to be correct. There is no running away from this fact that Taoism and Chinese culture is one and the same. Therefore we feel we have the duty to continue with this legacy and give our best effort to the promotion of the Chinese spirit so as to prevent such a great heritage from being forgotten and to spread it far and wide so that more people can understand and know what is Taoism. We hope that the brightness of Chinese culture will continue to radiate and the Tao be eternal.
