Daozang

Daozang, or Daoist Canon, 道藏, is the traditional term for the core corpus of Daoist scriptures and related literature. It comprises a wide range of texts used in Daoist practice and theory, including scriptures (jing), ritual manuals, talismanic texts, alchemical treatises, commentaries, hagiographies, and doctrinal compendia. The collection reflects the diverse lineages of Daoism, from early Celestial Masters to later Zhengyi and Quanzhen traditions, and it has served as the primary written resource for Daoist ritual, meditation, and scholastic study.

Throughout the first centuries of Daoism, texts circulated in manuscript form and gradually gained organization. A formal canon began to take shape in the medieval period, with major editorial projects in the Song–Ming era and subsequent Qing efforts to standardize and preserve material. The Ming edition became widely referenced, and Qing editors produced updated canons that remained influential into the modern period. Because different lineages and locales produced their own compilations, several distinct Daozang editions exist today, though they share a core corpus.

Today, Daozang remains an important source for scholars of Chinese religion and history, as well as for Daoist practitioners. It has been the subject of critical editions, scholarly translations, and digital projects that aim to preserve and study the texts. The canon provides insight into Daoist cosmology, ritual practice, internal alchemy, medicine, and the social history of Daoist communities across China and beyond.