The Origin of Chinese Taoism - Belief in Immortals and Alchemy and Occult Arts

The Origin of Taoism
Taoism is a local religion in China, with its origins dating back to ancient times and officially formed in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The following is the main thread of the origin of Taoism:
Religious Worship in Ancient Times
The ideological roots of Taoism can be traced back to ancient times, when people's reverence for natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, lightning, and ancestors formed the worship of multiple gods. During the Yin and Shang dynasties, there emerged shamans who specialized in communicating with ghosts and gods. They used songs, dances, talismans, and other methods to subdue and drive away ghosts, predict good and bad luck, and even treat illnesses and disasters, holding a high social status.
The Ritual and Music Civilization of the Zhou Dynasty and Taoist Thought
During the Zhou Dynasty, the worship of ghosts and gods became more systematic, forming three major systems: heavenly gods, human ghosts, and earthly beings. The Zhou royal family implemented the policy of "respecting heaven and protecting the people", and the status of shamanism gradually declined. However, its culture was inherited by folk practitioners and evolved into later Taoist rituals and ceremonies. At the same time, Laozi and Zhuangzi established the Taoist school, advocating for "the Tao follows nature" and "governing by inaction", laying the philosophical foundation for Taoism.
The belief in immortals and the culture of alchemists during the Qin and Han dynasties
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the belief in immortals was widely spread, and alchemists proposed the idea of immortality and carried out activities to search for immortals. Emperors such as Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han sent alchemists to seek elixirs of immortality. During this period, the combination of Fang Xian Dao and Huang Lao Xue gradually evolved into Huang Lao Dao, providing important conditions for the formation of Taoism.
The official establishment of Taoism in the late Eastern Han