道教 Taoism
道教是中国土生土长的宗教。正式出现在东汉末年。其诞生以五斗米道、太平道的出现为标志。道教根植于中国的传统文化之中，其渊源大体有几个方面：远古时代源于对自然物和祖先崇拜的原始宗教和巫术；春秋战国时代宣扬长生不老，借助炼丹采药希图成仙的方术；战国时的阴阳五行学说；诸子百家中的道家思想；等。
Taoism is an indigenous religion of China. It formally emerged at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and its birth was marked by the emergence of the Wudoumi Dao and the Taiping Dao. Taoism is rooted in traditional Chinese culture, and its sources are largely the following aspects: primitive religions and exorcism which worship natural objects and ancestors in remote antiquity, the pursuit of immortality by means of Chinese alchemy in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and the doctrine of yin and yang and wuxing (five elements) and the Daojia thought in the Warring States Period.
three master of Taoism 道教三圣
道教的教义复杂，派别众多。它尊奉道家老子为始祖，称其为“太上老君”，把老子所著《道德经》作为主要经典。认为“道”是宇宙的原始状态，是世界的本原，天地万物都由“道”而派生。道教以长生不死、得道成仙为最高理想，认为人活在世界上就应该追求长生不死或羽化成仙，实现的途径就是信奉道教；认为只要诚心修炼，就能得到神仙的帮助或点化，获得超能力直至得道成仙。在生活上，道教主张顺应自然，淡忘对现实社会的种种追求，过自然真实的生活。
Taoism has complicated doctrines and a variety of sects. It worships Laozi, the representative of Daojia, as its founder, referring to him as “Taishang Laojun,” and views the Tao Te Ching written by Laozi as its major scripture.
老子 Lao Zi/Lao-Tzu (BC571-BC471)
Taoism holds that the Way is the primitive state of the universe, and the origin of the world, and all existence in the universe derives from the Way. Taoism views immortality as its ultimate goal, believing that human beings should pursue immortality and that the very way is through belief in Taoism. It contends that one can get the help or instruction
of immortals and gain supernatural ability and obtain immortality at last so long as he sincerely cultivates himself. In life, Taoism advocates acclimating oneself to nature, giving up various pursuits in the real society and living a natural and true life.
Wudang mountain 武当山
为了达到成仙的目的，道教发明了很多修炼的方法，包括精神修炼、形体修炼、食物修炼等等。内丹道和外丹道是其中比较著名的修炼方法。外丹是在丹炉中烧炼矿物以制造长生不老的“仙丹”；内丹是将人体比作炉鼎来习练 精、 气、 神， 通过调整人体内的气息 流 转， 回 到 生 命的原本状态而长生不死。
In order to achieve the goal of immortality,Taoism invented many ways of cultivation,including the cultivation of spirit, physical bodies and via one’s diet; in particular, the way of inner immortal pills and that of outer immortal pills are famous ways of cultivation. Outer immortal pills refer to “immortality pills” produced by way of Chinese alchemy, which are said to result in immortality; in contrast, the way of inner immortal pills compares a human body to a stove, advocating cultivating jing (material), qi (energy) and shen (mind) to adjust the breath and qi circulation of human bodies, returning to the original state of life and thus gaining immortality.
道教对中国古代文化的发展产生了巨大的影响。道教的某些活动包含了一定的科学精神。如：炼丹本来是一种制药手段，但导致了火药的发明与利用；采药治病，促进了中国医药学的发展；道教的养生之道与修炼之术，是今天气功、武术、太极拳等体育活动的直接来源，其养生理论仍受当今人们关注；道教的成仙思想和仙界构想，刺激了作家和艺术家的想象力，丰富了中国文学中的浪漫主义色彩；在民间习俗方面，不少道教内容渗入传统节日，许多道教神仙如玉皇大帝、王母娘娘等在中国民间受到普遍信仰，对人们的文化心理结构产生了深远的影响。
Taoism exerted considerable influence over the development ancient Chinese culture. Some aspects of Taoism exhibit the spirit of science and technology to a certain extent. For example, the alchemical refining of immortal pills was originally a pharmaceutical activity, but later led to the invention and use of gunpowder; the pharmaceutical and healing methods boosted the development of traditional Chinese medicines; the regimen and exercising methods of Taoism are the direct source of some of today’s sports, such as qigong, martial arts and shadowboxing, and its regimen theory still receives attention nowadays; its idea of the pursuit of immortality and its notion of the immortal world have aroused the imagination of writers and artists, and enriched the romantic color of Chinese literature; for folk customs, many traditional festivals have been infused with the contents of Taoism,
the folk beliefs in Taoist immortals, such as the Jade Emperor and the Goddess the Queen Mother, which remain popular in China and have a profound influence over the cultural psychological structure of the populace.
中国五大道教名山：湖北武当山、广东罗浮山、江西龙虎山、安徽齐云山、四川青城山。武当山名气最大，又是武当武术的发源地。
Five Famous Taoism Mountains of China: The Wudang Mountain in Hubei, The Luohu mountain in Guangdong, Mount Longhu in Jiangxi, the Qiyun Mountain in Anhui and the Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan.The Wudang Mountain is the most famous of all, and is viewed as the leading one of the Four Famous Taoism Mountains, and the origin of Wudang martial arts.