Taoism during the Five Dynasties period

During the 53 years of the Five Dynasties period (907–960), five ruling families and thirteen monarchs succeeded each other amid social upheaval, providing a suitable environment for Taoism to thrive. Many local dynasties continued to venerate Taoism by honoring Taoist priests, constructing temples, collecting scattered Taoist scriptures, and commissioning priests to preach Taoist sutras, all of which contributed to the maintenance and development of the religion. For example, Wang Jian and Wang Yan, father and son rulers of the Former Shu, revered Taoism and honored Du Guangting as the "Celestial Master"; Meng Chang of the Later Shu was obsessed with golden elixirs and sexual cultivation techniques; Li Bian of the Southern Tang built the Xuanzhen Temple for Wang Qixia, the 19th-generation master of Maoshan, bestowing upon him seals, ribbons, and the title "Grand Master of Mysterious Erudition." Taoism spread within the territories of various local separatist regimes. Taoist priests either retreated to mountain forests or hid in marketplaces, shifting from otherworldly pursuits to worldly engagement—from seeking immortality to saving humanity and alleviating real-world sufferings. This led to the integration of certain cultivation methods and salvific ideals from Confucianism and Buddhism into Taoism. By the late Tang and Five Dynasties, external alchemy began to decline, while internal alchemy gradually rose and flourished, profoundly influencing the subsequent rise and development of Quanzhen Taoism.  

Notable Taoist priests of this period included Li Hao, Tan Qiao, Peng Xiao, and Tan Zixia, who dedicated themselves to researching and constructing Taoist theories and techniques, ensuring that Taoism advanced even during this low ebb. Among them, Tan Qiao and Peng Xiao had particularly significant impacts on later generations.  

Tan Qiao (courtesy name Jingsheng), a native of Quanzhou (now in Fujian Province), lived in an undetermined era, though the renowned Taoist Chen Tuan reportedly regarded him as a mentor and friend. Historical records praise Tan Qiao for his childhood intelligence, extensive knowledge of classics and history, exceptional memory, and eloquent, elegant writing. Devoted to Huang-Lao philosophy, he pursued Taoist cultivation with great dedication. Well-traveled and erudite, Tan Qiao wrote *Hua Shu (Book of Transformation)* on Zhongnan Mountain. The ideas in this work profoundly influenced later internal alchemy studies and Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties. Joseph Needham, in his *Science and Civilisation in China*, considered *Hua Shu* the most original work among Taoist classics from the Tang and Song periods.  

Peng Xiao (courtesy name Xiuchuan, self-styled Zhenyi Zi), a native of Yongkang (established by the Later Shu in present-day northwest Chongqing County, Sichuan), served as a Chaosan Lang and Secretary of the Ministry of Rites in the Later Shu, awarded the Purple Gold Fish Pouch. He was deeply fond of Taoism and adept at cultivation and health-preservation techniques. The *Orthodox Taoist Canon·Taixuan Section* includes his works *Three Volumes of True Meaning on the Divided Chapters of the Zhouyi Cantongqi* and *One Volume of the Mirror Diagram of the Dingqi Song in the Zhouyi Cantongqi*.