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Taoist Culture  
 Taoist Culture
In the late period of Eastern Han dynasty of China, Zhang Daoling introduced Taoist Culture into the South Mountain (Mount Hengshan), thereafter Taoism developed continually in the S outh Mountain area. Taoism committed it self to practicing inner alchemy, namely today¡¯s Qigong; while the refining of inner elixir is the external alchemy, namely drug, which is the ancient chemistry. The Taoist thought and culture have a significant influence on people. The prosperity of temples began from this time. They influenced emperors, generals and ministers, needless to say the innumerable votaries among the common folks. The Taoist temples of South Mountain includes Qizhen Temple, South Mountain Temple in the early Jin Dynasty, and later many dynasties established temples in the South Mountain, among which the number established in the Tang Dynasty is the most, reaching 28. Red walls and green tiles, flourishing green trees, famous mountain and small buildings, all these formed the excellent scenery. Consequently, the Taoist culture infiltrates to each field and literators communicated with Taoists, which formed a significant characteristic of the Taoist culture of the South Mountain. Many Taoists with high culture cultivation and profound metaphysics all wrote books and established theories. For example, Records of Mount Hengshan is the first monograph about the South Mountain written by Xu Lingqi of the Liu-Song dynasty of the Southern Dynasties of China. Thereafter, a series of books about the mountain appeared, including Small records of South Mountain written by Taoist Li Chongzhao of the late Tang Dynasty, scenery collection of the South Mountain written by Chen Tianfu of the Song Dynasty, trivialness records written by Li Changgeng of the Ming Dynasty. All of these writings have a important role for the researches of the history and culture of South Mountain.

Tabu of Taoist:
1. Don¡¯t talk about the ages of Taoists. People should not ask Taoists about their ages, for the thought base of Taoism is to enjoy life and hate death. Therefore, don¡¯t talk about the ages of Taoists.
2. Don¡¯t worship on the ¡°penta¡± day. Taoism stipulates: it is not allowed to burn joss sticks, worship god, read the Hebrew Bible as well as beat drums and perform religious ceremonies when Tiangan is ¡°penta¡± day by the Chinese lunar calendar.
3. Taoist doesn¡¯t worship the deaths. Taoists kneel down to nobody to warship except to their teachers and parents.
4. Don¡¯t stand in three occasions. That¡¯s to say, people should disturb them when Taoists eat vegetarian dishes, read the Hebrew Bible and sit still, and they also should not stand up if others speak to them.
5£®Don¡¯t talk in three occasions. Don¡¯t talk about dreams in the morning, don¡¯t talk about fight in the noon, and don¡¯t talk about ghosts and gods in the evening. This regulation must be abided by or they violate a taboo.
6£®Don¡¯t eat four things, namely, beef, tortoise, swan goose or dog meat.

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