Papers by Richard G . Wang
This article examines the court Daoist Liu Yuanran (1351-1432), his religious lineage, and his ro... more This article examines the court Daoist Liu Yuanran (1351-1432), his religious lineage, and his role in Ming Daoism. As a crucial priest who shaped the Daoist development, Liu is the key to our understanding of Daoism in the early Ming in general and such dominant Daoist lineages as Qingwei, the Longhushan community, Quanzhen, and Jingming in particular. From transmitted teachings, ritual arts, master-disciple relationship, and the lineage verse, Liu Yuanran can be identified as a Qingwei priest, as testified by a Daoist ecclesiastical community and its lineage verse from the Tianfei Palace of Tianjin. This study argues that Liu Yuanran would not have been a Quanzhen Daoist, and the Zhao Yizhen-Liu Yuanran-Shao Yizheng lineage was not part of Quanzhen. The view of Liu Yuanran as Quanzhen master and his lineage as Quanzhen was established a posteriori in the nineteenth century. Liu's association with Longhushan concerns the delegation mechanism of the Heavenly Master
Prologue Chapter One: Ming Princes: An Overview Chapter Two: Princely Ritual Institutions Chapter... more Prologue Chapter One: Ming Princes: An Overview Chapter Two: Princely Ritual Institutions Chapter Three: Ming Princes and Daoist Ritual Chapter Four: Cultivation and Book Chapter Five: Temple Patronage Chapter Six: Literary Patronage Chapter Seven: Princely Contacts with Clerics and Fashion of Daoist Names Epilogue: The Multi-faceted Princely Patronage of a Daoist Temple Appendix A: Genealogical Chart of the Ming Emperors and Their Lines of Descent Appendix B: The numbers of princes under each emperor Notes Bibliography Index
(Wudangshan 武當山) is well known to have been the most holy mountain in the Ming. As the center of ... more (Wudangshan 武當山) is well known to have been the most holy mountain in the Ming. As the center of the Zhenwu 真武 (Perfect Warrior) cult, Wudangshan not only attracted millions of pilgrims, but also spread the Zhenwu cult to the entire empire, with many sites of the Zhenwu cult known as the ''Little Wudang Mounts'' (Xiao Wudang 小武當) and other regional branches (travel-palaces 行宮 etc.) modeling after Wudangshan. Among these regional Zhenwu branches, Mount Qiyun (Qiyunshan 齊雲山) was arguably the most important. This study explores the conscious effort of the Daoist clerical community to duplicate the Zhenwu cult of Wudangshan at Qiyunshan. I argue that the high point of Daoism at Qiyunshan was the Jiajing 嘉靖 emperor's (r. 1522–1566) patronage. This imperial support not only served the emperor's personal religious interest, it also provided political legitimacy to promote Jiajing's lineage and remap the religious landscape of the empire. Due to geographical, regional, and cultural differences, Qiyunshan was still distinguished from Wudangshan, and the main differences lay in the purposeful attempt to build up literati culture at Qiyunshan. In this sense, Qiyunshan deserved the nickname, ''Little Wudang in Jiangnan'' 江南小武當, and the cult of Zhenwu there illustrated its regional colors.
This article is an in-depth study of Ming princely temple patronage. The Ming princes were most i... more This article is an in-depth study of Ming princely temple patronage. The Ming princes were most interested in traditional Daoist core temples. At the same time they engaged in the activities of the temples of official standing of different degrees. The Ming princes were also attracted to some popular cults believed to be efficacious (ling). In terms of the patterns of temple patronage, the princes were involved in such activities as temple founding, temple renovation, donations of land and other wealth, princely writing of temple inscriptions and the name plaques in calligraphy, enclosing temples in the princely estates, the temples as family shrines, the Daozang brought to the temples, and the shelter temples known as Tea Temples founded at Mount Wudang. Their patronage of temples was on average within a short range of distance. The majority of temples they patronized were concentrated in major cities of political, military and economic importance in the Ming empire, thus becoming a highly visible component of the urban public landscape.
This essay explores the relationship between the patronage of Ming princes and local Daoism, focu... more This essay explores the relationship between the patronage of Ming princes and local Daoism, focusing on ritual. While the role of Ming princes in local religion is an under-appreciated subject, this essay demonstrates that their support is crucial to our understanding of Daoism during that period. The efforts of princes made local Daoist ritual visible. In fact, they occupied an important role in propagating Daoism as an element of cultural and religious identity. Moreover, by different approaches to Daoist ritual, the Ming princes represented the various religious and social needs of lay patrons in the local community. Résumé Cet article explore la relation entre le patronage des princes Ming et le taoïsme local, en s'attachant plus particulièrement au rituel. Alors qu'on tend à sous-estimer le rôle des princes Ming dans le domaine des religions locales, l'article montre que prendre en compte leur soutien est décisif pour notre compréhension du taoïsme pendant cette période. Les efforts des princes ont rendu visible les rituels taoïstes au niveau local. Ils ont en fait joué un rôle important dans la propagation du taoïsme comme élément d'identité culturelle et religieuse. En outre, par leurs approches différentes du rituel taoïste les princes Ming étaient représentatifs de la variété des demandes religieuses et sociales des laïques au sein de la communauté locale.
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Papers by Richard G . Wang