The compiler of this work is unknown. Judging from the content and linguistic style, it seems to have been compiled by Taoist priests of the Shangqing School in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589 CE) or the Sui-Tang period (581–907 CE).
As a Taoist encyclopedic compilation (leishu), this book mainly extracts and explains terminology from various Shangqing scriptures, or excerpts passages from the scriptures, which are then organized into categorized sections.
It is divided into a total of twelve categories (pin):
- Jing Pin (Category of Scriptures)
- Shizi Pin (Category of Teachers and Disciples)
- Tian Pin (Category of Heaven)
- Di Pin (Category of Earth)
- Sisheng Pin (Category of Life and Death)
- Jiyue Pin (Category of Music and Performances)
- Jiacheng Pin (Category of Vehicles and Mounts)
- Fu’er Pin (Category of Elixirs and Dietary Nourishment)
- Shihuo Pin (Category of Food and Goods)
- Shiyun Pin (Category of Seasons and Fortune)
- Ziyong Pin (Category of Utensils and Supplies)
- Juchu Pin (Category of Dwellings and Residences)
The organizational structure of the entire book is similar to that of other Taoist encyclopedic compilations such as Wushang Miyao (The Supreme Secret Essentials) and Shangqing Dao Leishixiang (Matters Pertaining to the Architecture of Shangqing Dao).
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