Daoism in Modern China

This book questions whether temples and Daoism are two independent aspects of modern Chinese religion, or if they are indissolubly linked. It presents a useful analysis as to how modern history has changed the structure and organisation of religious and social life in China, and the role that Daoism plays in this.Using an interdisciplinary approach combining historical research and fieldwork, the book focuses on urban centres in China, as this is where socio-political changes came earliest and affected religious life to the greatest extent, and also where the largest central Daoist temples were and are located. It compares case studies from central, eastern and southern China with published evidence and research on other Chinese cities. Contributors examine how Daoism interacted with traditional urban social, cultural and commercial institutions, and pays close attention to how it dealt with processes of state expansion, commercialization, migration, and urban development in modern times. The book also analyses the evolution of urban religious life in modern China, particularly the ways in which temple communities, lay urbanites, and professional Daoists interact with one another.A solid ethnography that presents an abundance of new historical information, this book will be of interest to academics in the field of Asian Studies, Daoist Studies, Asian religions and modern China.