Religious Taoism
Spatio-Temporal Dimensions
Strands of Taoism (Smith typology)
Non-formal “self-help” groups
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Philosophical Taoism
(Lao-zi and Zhuang-zi)
Hygienic/yogic Taoism
(personal dimensions of yin-yang cosmology)
Institutionalized “other-help” churches
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Religious Taoism
(spatio-temporal dimensions of yin-yang cosmology)
Strands of Taoism (Smith typology)
Non-formal “self-help” groups

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Philosophical Taoism
(Lao-zi and Zhuang-zi)
Hygienic/yogic Taoism
(personal dimensions of yin-yang cosmology)
Institutionalized “other-help” churches

Religious Taoism
(spatio-temporal dimensions of yin-yang cosmology)
Strands of Taoism (other names)
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Philosophical Taoism
(eremitic Taoism)
Hygienic/yogic Taoism
(alchemical and monastic Taoism)
Religious Taoism
(priestly Taoism)
spatio-temporal dimensions of yin-yang cosmology
1. Spatial Dimensions of Yin and Yang
2. Temporal Dimensions of Yin and Yang
1. Spatial Dimensions of Yin and Yang
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mountains and valleys / light and shadow
the placement of cities, homes, graves
Etymological background: yin and yang
Wu-xing
-- Five Phases
行
xing
Five
Phases / Processes / Changes / Elements
YANG ORDER OF PRODUCTION
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wood > fire
fire > earth
earth > metal
metal > water
water > wood
YIN ORDER OF OVERCOMING
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metal / wood
wood / earth
earth / water
water / fire
fire / metal
Chinese vs. Greek “Elemental Theory”
五行
xing as
“locomotion”
wood
fire
earth
metal
water





growing of wood
burning of fire
enveloping of earth
hardening of metal
moistening of water
彳 “Pictograph showing a person taking a small step”
Orientation of human habitations:
feng-shui (geomancy)
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“wind and water”
“habitation”: living and dead
19th century Western
characterizations of feng-shui

“a mere chaos of childish absurdities and refined
mysticism, cemented together, by sophistic
reasonings, into a system, which is in reality a
ridiculous caricature of science”
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“an abyss of insane vagaries”
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“a perverse application of physical and meteorological
knowledge”
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“the biggest of all bugbears”
Feng-shui and Ecological Consciousness
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Nature as a living,
complementary force
Natural beauty and form
Links between topography and
architecture
An ideal of cosmic, social, and
ecological harmony
“a mere chaos of
childish absurdities”
East Wing, National Gallery, Washington, DC (I.M. Pei)
“a ridiculous caricature
of science”
Hong Kong (New Territories)
“an abyss of insane vagaries”
“a perverse application of physical
and meteorological knowledge”
Beijing Blur Hotel
designed by Pei Zhu
Bank of China Tower
(Hong Kong)
“the biggest of all bugbears”
“Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium
(Beijing)
Ai Wei-wei
The entire building rotates by
different degrees at different
levels, corresponding with the
surrounding scenery. Our aim is
to provide 360 degree views, to
awaken the city dweller's
appreciation of nature, and to get
them in touch with the sunlight
and the wind.
MAD is a Beijing-based architectural design studio dedicated to creating
innovative projects. It combines a sophisticated design philosophy with
advanced technology in exploring contemporary architecture, social, and
cultural issue in today's China. We examine and develop our unique concept
of futurism through current theoretical practices in architectural design,
landscape design, and urban planning.In 2006, MAD was awarded the
Architectural League Young Architects Forum Award.
On-going projects include Absolute Towers in Toronto, 330-meter-high Sinosteel International Plaza in Tianjin, China, Phoenix Island master planning and
architecture design, and large-scale public complex and residential housing in
Denmark, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Costa Rica.
MAD is seeking the most innovative architects and designers with different
experiences to work on diverse projects worldwide. MAD office has an
international workforce and welcomes applications from all over the world.
关于MAD事务所
MAD事务所是一家具有创新精神的建筑师事务所，我们关注当代的建筑、景观
设计及相关的城市、文化问题，并希望通过超前的理念为未来的城市提出独特、
有效的设计方案。
MAD目前在世界范围内有各种规模和类型的建筑项目，其中包括正在施工中的
多伦多梦露大厦（2006年MAD赢得该项目设计竞赛第一名），位于天津滨海新
区的358米超高层——中钢国际广场，三亚凤凰岛的整体规划设和建筑设计项
目，北海滨海居住社区，以及在丹麦，香港，迪拜，新加坡，马来西亚，日本，
哥斯达黎加等地的大型公共建筑和住宅项目。
MAD的设计作品得到世界范围的关注与报道。MAD获2006年度纽约建筑联盟
青年建筑师奖。MAD还举办了一系列个展。其中包括2006年MAD在意大利威
尼斯举办的“MAD in China”展览，与威尼斯双年展同步展出，在北京Tokyo
Gallery举行了名为”MAD Under Construction”建筑设计展览。2007年MAD在
丹麦哥本哈根的丹麦建筑中心举办名为MAD in China”的漂浮城市系列个展。
2. Temporal Dimensions of Yin and Yang
Festivals of the Calendar (all dates lunar)
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1/1
5/5
7/15
11/15
Spring Festival: the Chinese “New Year”
Double Yang Festival: Water/Cold Food
Mid-Year Festival: Ghost
Festival of Rebirth of Yang: Gods
It lies behind the
importance of the number
seven in sacred writings
and means that our sevenday week is a regular
reminder of the ancient
lunar calender.
Days 1 to 14
Days 15 to 28
The Chinese Festival Year
(excess of yang)
5/5
summer
(season of gods)
7/15
(domination of yin)
1/1
(re-emergence of yang )
11/15
(reemergence of yang)
winter
(season of ghosts)
Festivals of the Calendar
(all dates lunar)
1/1
Spring Festival: the Chinese “New Year”
-- celebrating the re-emergence of yang
5/5
Double Yang Festival: Water/Cold Food
-- overcoming the excess of yang
7/15
Mid-Year Festival: Ghosts
-- observing the domination of yin
11/15 Festival of Rebirth of Yang: Gods
-- encouraging the re-emergence of yang
Spring Festival (1/1)
Double Yang Festival (5/5)
Ghost Festival
(7/15)
YUE LAN (HUNGRY GHOST)
FESTIVAL
Seventh Moon, Day 15
(August/September)
For one long lunar month during the Hungry
Ghost Festival, ghosts are said to roam the
earth.
Throughout this month Chinese people do
their best to avoid late nights to steer clear
of the spirits. In some areas of Hong Kong,
visitors can see small roadside fires, where
believers burn paper money and other
offerings to appease the restless spirits.
In Toucheng, the first Chinese settlement on the
Lanyang Plain, the Ghost Festival culminates with
the tradition of setting up towers and climbing them.
Festival of Rebirth of Yang
(11/15)
Major Themes of the Taoist
Classics
1.
“Anti-Confucianism”
2.
Zi-ran: Naturalness and
Spontaneity
3.
Wu-wei: Non-action
4.
The Dao
5.
Pu: The “Uncarved Block”
6.
Uselessness
7.
Hua: Transmutability
8.
The Perfect One
7. Transmutability
the Kun fish and the Peng bird
鯤
"Little Understanding and Great Understanding"
(Ch. 1, Free and Easy Wandering)
In the northern darkness there is a fish and his name is Kun (北冥有魚，其名為
鯤). The Kun is so huge I don't know how many thousand miles he measures.
He changes and becomes a bird whose name is Peng (化而為鳥，其名為鵬).
The back of the Peng measures I don't know how many thousand miles across
and, when he rises up and flies off, his wings are like clouds all over the sky.
When the sea begins to move, this bird sets off for the southern darkness,
which is the Lake of Heaven (南冥者，天池也)...
When the Peng journeys to the southern darkness, the waters are roiled for
three thousand miles. He beats the whirlwind and rises ninety thousand miles,
setting off on the sixth-month gale...
…
The cicada and the little dove laugh at this, saying, "When we make
an effort and fly up, we can get as far as the elm or the sapanwood tree, but
sometimes we don't make it and just fall down on the ground. Now how is
anyone going to go ninety thousand miles to the south!“
If you go off to the green woods nearby, you can take along food for
three meals and come back with your stomach as full as ever. If you are going
a hundred miles, you must grind your grain the night before; and if you are
going a thousand miles, you must start getting the provisions together three
months in advance. What do these two creatures understand (之二蟲又何知)?
Little understanding cannot come up to great understanding; the short-lived
cannot come up to the long-lived (小知不及大知，小年不及大年).
Dreams: Hua-consciousness
painting by Lu Zhi (16th c.)
Asian Art Museum San Francisco
"The Butterfly Dream"
(Ch. 2, Making Things Equal)
Once Zhuang-zi dreamt he was a butterfly
(昔者莊周夢為胡蝶),
a butterfly flitting and fluttering around
(栩栩然胡蝶也),
happy with himself and doing as he pleased
(自喻適志與).
He didn‘t know he was Zhuang Zhou (不知周
也).
Suddenly he woke up (俄然覺) and there he
was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou
(則蘧蘧然周也).
But he didn’t know if he was Zhuang Zhou
who had dreamed he was a butterfly, or a
butterfly dreaming he was Zhuang Zhou (不知
周之夢為胡蝶與，胡蝶之夢為周與).
Between Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly there
must be some distinction (周與胡蝶，則必有
分矣)!
This is called the Transformation of Things
(此之謂物化).
Spontaneity:
Hua as model for living
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Responding to change
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Acting effortlessly
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Moving purposelessly
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Going where there is least resistance
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Responding to a shifting situation
8. The Perfect One
Zhen-ren
真人
The Great Awakening (Zhuangzi, ch. 2)
He who dreams of drinking wine may weep when morning comes; he who dreams of weeping
may in the morning go off to hunt. While he is dreaming he does not know it is a dream, and in his
dream he may even try to interpret the dream. Only after he wakes does he know it was a dream.
And someday there will be a great awakening when we know that this is all a dream. Yet the
stupid believe they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this
man ruler, that one herdsman -- how dense! Confucius and you are both dreaming! And when I
say you are dreaming, I am dreaming, too, and words like these will be labeled the Supreme
Swindle.
Yet, after ten thousand generations, a great sage may appear who will know their meaning, and it
will be as though he appeared with astonishing speed.
夢飲酒者，旦而哭泣；夢哭泣者，旦而田獵。方其夢也，不知其夢也。夢之
中又占其夢焉，覺而後知其夢也。且有大覺而後知此其大夢也，而愚者自以
為覺，竊竊然知之。君乎，牧乎，固哉！丘也，與女皆夢也；予謂女夢，亦
夢也。是其言也，其名為弔詭。
萬世之後，而一遇大聖知其解者，是旦暮遇之也。
The Taoist Sage
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“Godlike” qualities
Unaffected by life and death
Emotional equanimity
“A mind like a mirror”
“Sitting in forgetfulness”
“The fasting of the mind”
Contrasts between Confucianism and Taoism
Confucian
Taoist
Heaven
ceremony
action
society
male
adulthood
moral perfection
"build"
"establish"
being
education
hierarchy
named
North
knowledge
the ancients
Nature, Tao
simplicity
non-action
individual
female
infancy & old age
spiritual tranquilty
"nourish"
"return"
non-being
self-transformation
unity
nameless
South
intuition
pre-history
Remnants of Taoism
in Contemporary Chinese Culture
Taoist responses to contemporary global issues
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violence arising from ethnic and political conflict
urbanization and its attendant ills (from crime to unsightly cityscapes)
ecological degradation and the worldwide decrease in forested or
virgin land
medical technologies which preserve life, but often at great material
and spiritual cost
greed and avariciousness, expressed both personally and nationally
sexual ethics which are often distorted on the one hand by demeaning
images and attitudes or, on the other hand, by religiously motivated
prudishness
lifestyles focused on personal achievement in highly artificial
environments, with little opportunity for physical exercise, creative
expression, or communion with nature
(Nadeau, p. 110)
Taoism as an Emerging World Religion
Taoism as Anti-Judaism, Anti-Catholicism and AntiVictorianism (Nadeau, p. 122)
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Freedom
Aestheticism and artistic expression
Naturalism
Holistic health and macrobiotic diet
Non-competitive sport
Ecological consciousness
Sexual expression
Spirituality and feminine images of the divine