A Study of the Modern Daoist Temples of the Quanzhen Lineage on Luofu Shan, Guangdong.

In his Changchun daojiao yuanliu, Chen Minggui (1821-1881) remarked that "when we asked the Daoist temples either on Luofu shan or in the provincial city for the origin of their lineage, they all responded that they belonged to the Quanzhen order." The 1942 Annual of Guangdong reported that "there were many local Daoist temples scattering in the counties [of Guangdong]. Their administration was modelled on the Daoist (Quanzhen) temples on Luofu shan." In the past, scholarly study of the Quanzhen order founded in Guangdong during the early Qing period was not very advanced. The only exceptions are the Changchun daojiao yuanliu by Chen Minggui and Luofu shan zhibu by Chen Botao (1855-1930). Although the two Chens' first scholarly history of the Quanzhen lineage began in Guangdong, their impact was not so much evident. This paper attempts to trace the history and transformation of the Quanzhen lineage on Luofu shan. It makes extensive use of the collected epigraphy of temple steles, local gazetteers and local historical materials, and some anecdotal jottings and stories as key sources to reconstruct the historical development of those Quanzhen temples. The present paper covers three main parts. It begins with a study of the beginning of the Quanzhen lineage founded in Guangdong during the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722). It then attempts to reconstruct the transmission of the Quanzhen lineage on Luofu shan. Part two will trace the history of the Daoist Monasteries of Chongxu guan and Sulao guan with a particular focus on the issue of how they changed to the Quanzhen lineage. Finally, it will attempt to reconstruct the history of the Daoist Monastery of Yuanmiao guan in Huizhou city nearby Luofu shan. The Monastery was founded in the Song, and survived through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties to the present day. In early Qing, the Monastery underwent a reformation with the result that it changed to the Quanzhen lineage. In conclusion, the present study finds that the Daoist temples of Quanzhen lineage on Luofu Mountain, Huizhou as well as those in other cities of Guangdong were developed after a disengagement from their originally established local tradition. Since the early Qing, the Quanzhen lineage had been considered as a Daoist order officially endorsed and publicly promoted by the imperial policy. Influenced by this trend, Daoist temples on Luofu shan respectively reformed themselves by making connection with the Quanzhen lineage. With the support of the local Qing officials and local gentry, the conversion of Daoist temples on Luofu shan was completely realized. One can find the later spread of Quanzhen tradition in other Guangdong Daoist temples after the middle of Qing and the trend continues to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]