The Earliest History of Quanzhen Taoism 金莲正宗记

Compiled by Qin Zhi'an, a Taoist priest of the Quanzhen School in the Yuan Dynasty.

Completed in the Xinchou year, the 13th year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty (1241).

Five volumes, included in the Genealogy and Records category of The Dongzhen Section in the Daozang.

The Earliest History of Quanzhen Taoism

This book is the earliest surviving historical work on the Quanzhen Taoist religion. It contains biographies of fourteen patriarchs of Quanzhen Taoism: Donghua Dijun Wang Xuanfu, Zhengyang Zhenren Zhongli Quan, Chunyang Zhenren Lü Dongbin, Haichan Zhenren Liu Cao, Chongyang Zhenren Wang Zhe, Yuchan Zhenren He Dejin, Lingyang Zhenren Lord Li (unknown given name), as well as the Seven True Masters of Quanzhen: Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, and Sun Buer.

Each figure has one biography recording their life stories, with eulogies appended after each account. The biographical texts are relatively detailed, though many myths and legends are included. According to the preface at the beginning of the book, Quanzhen Taoism “originated with Donghua, flowed through Chongyang, and branched from Changchun (Qiu Chuji)”. Later historical books of Quanzhen Taoism all inherited this view.