The Xiao Fudao 萧辅道

Xiao Fudao was a native of Weizhou (now Jixian County, Henan Province) during the transitional period between the Jin and Yuan dynasties. His courtesy name was Gongbi, and his literary name was Dongyingzi. He was the fourth-generation successor of the Taiyi Dao (Great Unity Dao), a major Taoist school in medieval China.

Kublai Khan (later Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty) issued an imperial edict summoning Xiao Fudao to Helin (the former capital of the Mongol Empire, now in Mongolia). Xiao Fudao’s responses to the Khan’s inquiries fully met the imperial will, so he was retained to stay in the imperial palace. Leveraging his special connection with the Yuan imperial family, Xiao Fudao extensively associated with senior government officials, scholar-officials, and literati, allowing the influence of the Taiyi Dao to permeate various social strata.

In the second year of the Yuan Dingzong era (1247), he was bestowed the title "Real Person Zhonghe Renjing" (meaning "the real person of harmony, benevolence, and tranquility"). He passed away from illness in the second year of the Yuan Xianzong era (1252).

Thanks to Xiao Fudao’s efforts, the Taiyi Dao achieved significant consolidation and development in the early Yuan Dynasty. His renowned disciple Li Jushou later succeeded him as the leader of the Taiyi Dao lineage. Details of Xiao Fudao’s life can be found in the Imperial Edict Stele of Taiqing Taoist Temple.