What is Xuanjiao Sect 玄教

Xuanjiao is a Taoist sect that emerged in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a branch of Tianshi Dao (Celestial Master Dao) and was founded by the Yuan Dynasty Taoist priest Zhang Liusun.

The main distribution of Xuanjiao was concentrated in the Jiangnan region (the area south of the Yangtze River), with few Taoist activities in the north. From the first leader Zhang Liusun to the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there were five successive leaders in total. During the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, only the descendants of the Celestial Master Zhang were recognized, while the Grand Master of Xuanjiao was no longer acknowledged, leading to the dissolution of Xuanjiao.

Although Xuanjiao was a branch derived from the Longhu Sect (Dragon and Tiger Sect), it maintained considerable independence from the Celestial Master Zhang of the Longhu Sect. Xuanjiao made no achievements in terms of theoretical construction. In terms of practicing magical arts, apart from inheriting the talismans and ritual ceremonies of the Longhu Sect, it also extensively adopted various other schools' techniques, such as thunder magic and inner alchemy.

Despite existing only in the Yuan Dynasty, Xuanjiao played an important historical role in promoting the formation and development of Zhengyi Dao (Orthodox Unity Dao).