Taoism formed an organized religious form in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, which evolved from Fang and Huang and spread widely among the people. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, with the support of the rulers, they were able to rank among the upper classes of society and develop. From the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, Taoism flourished and its social status was greatly improved. These temples are not only all over the country, but also getting bigger and bigger. Taoist scholars came forth in large numbers, and the number of Taoist books increased greatly, and they were compiled into collections. From the Southern Song Dynasty to the mid-Ming Dynasty, Taoism continued to develop with the support of the rulers. However, due to the confrontation with the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, ethnic contradictions were extremely sharp, and sectarian disputes appeared within Taoism. After the mid-Ming Dynasty, due to internal troubles and foreign invasion, the court's financial support for Taoism failed. After Manchu entered the customs, the rulers were not interested in Taoism and lost their political support. Taoism developed from the upper class to the folk and gradually became a secret religious group. The occurrence and development of Taoism are intertwined with the long historical process of China, which has exerted different influences on China's politics, culture, thoughts and life. Studying the history of Taoism in China is of great significance to the study of China's ideological culture and social development.

The history of Taoism in China can be divided into five stages:

Early Taoism (from the origin of Taoism (from ancient times to the Shundi period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, that is, before AD 142);

From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, that is, 142 to 220);

The development and reform of Taoism (from the early Three Kingdoms to the end of the Five Dynasties, that is, from 220 to 960);

Distribution of Taoist schools (from early Song Dynasty to late Yuan Dynasty, that is, from 960 to 1368);

Taoism in Ming and Qing Dynasties (from early Ming Dynasty to late Qing Dynasty, that is, 1368 to191year).