No central authority

Taoism

Not meaningfully countable.

As with Shinto, exclusive-adherence counts misrepresent Chinese religious practice.

What the sources state

The Daoist Foundation describes scriptures as manifestations of the Dao and an authentic source of Daoist views inspired by spirit and contemplation.

“Considered manifestations of the Dao, they represent an authentic source of Daoist views inspired by spirit and contemplation.”

Source: Daoist Foundation

Every quotation above was checked against its source on 3 September 2026.

Authority

Taoism has no central authority.

Schools

Zhengyi

Quanzhen

Observances in 2026

Observance	Dates	How certain
Chinese New Year	17–19 February 2026	Calculated

Sources

Chinese Taoist Association
Taoism in mainland China
Daoist Foundation
An educational Daoist organisation. Speaks for itself; Taoism has no central authority and no reachable national body.

No expert review. Accuracy here rests on continuous machine verification of every quotation against its source. Spotted an error? Corrections are answered within five working days.