618-907 CE

The T’ang Dynasty traces its lineage to a Taoist deity and, as a result, glorifies Taoism during its rule. Taoism is made the national religion of China, Lao Tzu’s birthday declared a national holiday, and the Tao Te Ching is made obligatory reading for people in many scholarly pursuits. This also results in huge growth and development of Taoist religious structures, as the patronage allows the building of many new monasteries and temples throughout China.