Disappearing, Surviving, and Thriving: Daoists at Baiyun guan in Early Modern China

Contemporary Daoist leaders in North China often consider their religion was poorly organized and therefore weak: their efforts at institutionalization and modernization are, therefore, described in terms of revitalization in the face of decline. The case of Baiyun guan
(White Cloud Abbey) in Peking during the early 20th century, however, shows otherwise. Baiyun guan, initially built as a memorial shrine of the Daoist master Qiu Changchun during the Mongol Yuan dynasty, became the seat of the Quanzhen Daoist patriarchal lineage under the name Changchun gong. Active still today, it now serves as the head Daoist monastery of Quanzhen Daoism. By looking at Daoists’ lives at Baiyun guan, I argue that although Daoism might struggle within modern, highly pluralist and competitive Chinese society, Daoists, by actively engaging with social changes and competing with rival lineages, were far more creative and resilient in terms of preserving their own beliefs. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

George Keyworth

Student:

Partner:

Capital Normal University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: