Emperor Chen Gou, Emperor Wei Zi, Emperor Xuanwu, Emperor Baosheng, ...! What other emperors? Why are there so many emperors? How did these emperors come!

Taoism has always been known as the "six emperors". These "six emperors" are: Jade Emperor, Gouchen Shanggong Emperor, Zhongtian Arctic Wei Zi Emperor, Dongji Tsinghua Emperor, Antarctic Immortal Emperor and Chengtian Emperor. If you want to know how these emperors came, you must first talk about how Taoism came.

Although Laozi is the founder of Taoism now, Taoism in the pre-Qin period is completely different from Taoism later. In the pre-Qin period, there was worship of ghosts and gods in China, and alchemists practiced. But it is not systematic at all, not what we call religion. Taoism actually appeared after Buddhism was introduced into China. Taoism is actually a local alchemist, established and perfected by absorbing the fine traditions of Buddhism.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling of Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan founded Shi Tian, deified Laozi as a grand old gentleman, established Tao Te Ching as the canon, and called himself Shi Tian, which was the beginning of Taoism. Shi Tian Taoism, from Zhang Ling and Zhang Heng to Zhang Lu's grandchildren, and even Taiping Road founded by Zhang Jiao, as well as Maoshan, Lingbao, Wei Qing and Jingming, have all developed into orthodox schools of Taoism in China.

At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Zhongyang founded Quanzhen religion, which was carried forward by disciple Qiu Chuji, replacing the southern Shi Tian Daoism and consolidating the orthodox position of Taoism in China. Taoism Quanzhen School not only draws lessons from Buddhism in organizational system, but also draws lessons from Buddhism in teaching, belief in immortals, artistic statues and so on.