Of the five major religions in China, Taoism is the only one that originated in China and was founded by China people, so it is also called indigenous religion. Taoism had a far-reaching influence on politics, economy and culture in ancient China, and it was one of the three spiritual pillars of the ruling class.
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From the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, due to the respect of the ruling class, Taoism flourished and had a great social impact, and its philosophy, health care, spells and laws were also more perfect. After the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty, there were some new changes in Taoism, which were mainly manifested in the emergence of the idea of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and the rise of the Elixir Taoist School, which was dominated by Inner alchemy.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Taoism changed. New schools of Taoism, such as Quanzhen Taoism, Taiyi Taoism and Zhendao, have appeared in the north of China, while Nanzong, Tianxin Sect, Shen Xiao, Wei Qing and Jingming Sect have appeared in the south of China. Early Shi Tian, Puritanism and Lingbao also made innovations in doctrine and Taoism. Propagandizing the unity of the three religions and paying attention to the cultivation of inner alchemy are the main characteristics of Taoism in this period.