The founder of Taoism is Zhang Daoling.
In addition, the founder of Taoism is Laozi. The name of Taoism originates from the ancient "Book of Changes" and the Taoism of "Laozi"; however, it is the first official classic of Taoism. It's the Taiping Jing. The difference is that Taoism is a thought and a philosophical school, while Taoism is a religious belief.
Extended information:
Zhang Daoling, first named Zhang Ling, later changed his name. Originally a scholar from Taixue, he was eager to learn and was well versed in the Five Classics. He was proficient in the teachings of Huang and Lao. At the age of seven, he was able to read the De Jing and He Luo Tu Tao, both of which were extremely profound. He grew up to be a learned man. Later he gave up his official position and studied Taoism. Founded the Zhengyi League Weidao, referred to as Zhengyi League.
In the first year of Yongshou's reign during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, he founded the Zhengyi Alliance in Heming Mountain. Taishang Laojun "taught him the three-day righteousness and appointed him as a heavenly master" and called himself "the three-day master Zhengyi Zhenren". ", and compiled 24 Taoist books. During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty, he ascended to the throne in Lingtai Mountain (also known as Tianzhu Mountain) in Cangxi County, Sichuan. Legend has it that he was 123 years old at the time and was called the "ancestral master" in Taoism. It is said that Zhang Daoling, the first-generation Heavenly Master, learned Taoism from Taishang Laojun and was personally taught by Laojun. He was uniquely blessed with powerful Taoism.
The Taoist sect founded by the Patriarch Tianshi is called the Zhengyi League Weigao, or Zhengyiyi for short. But because those who followed his Tao had to produce five buckets of rice, it was also called the Five Bucks of Rice Way at that time (Editor's note: In fact, it was mostly used as a disparaging term, but the junior high school textbook called it the Five Bucks of Rice Way. Zhang Daoling was not only writing talismans to cure diseases, exorcise evil spirits and ward off disasters.
Twenty-four religious activity centers were established in the Bashu area, and Taoist people went there regularly to study Taoism and pray. His grandson Zhang Lu had an army and established it in Hanzhong during the Three Kingdoms period. He established a separatist regime that combined politics and religion, and used the power of the regime to promote some social and sectarian ideas of Zhengyi. For example, instead of punishing those who committed crimes with severe punishment, they would be forgiven after three times. In addition to the punishment, the punishment is relatively light. Usually, he is asked to build a road. At the same time, a charity house is set up on the road with rice and meat in it, and passers-by can eat it.
These measures will help the world's chaos. Later, Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao moved the power of Tianshi Dao to the north. , but the Rangzhengyi League's Wei Taoism was preserved and spread to the interior.
Reference: Zhang Daoling-Baidu Encyclopedia