author
850–933
A major Taoist writer of the late Tang and Five Dynasties era, this scholar-priest helped preserve ritual practice, religious history, and sacred storytelling during a time of political upheaval. His work remains an important window into medieval Daoism in China.
by Guangting Du
Born in 850 and traditionally associated with Jinyun in present-day Zhejiang, Du Guangting became one of the best-known Taoist figures of his age. After an unsuccessful attempt at the civil service examinations, he turned fully toward religious life and later served in elite literary and court circles during the final years of the Tang.
He followed the Tang court into Sichuan and went on to serve the Former Shu ruler Wang Jian. Remembered as both a religious leader and a prolific author, he wrote on Taoist scripture, ritual, hagiography, and lore, helping to organize and transmit important parts of the Daoist tradition.
Du Guangting died in 933. For readers today, he is especially interesting because his writings sit at the crossroads of religion, literature, and history, showing how Taoism adapted and endured in a turbulent period.