Taoism Bending towards the way of the Tao -- how the Taoism of Zhuang and Laozi influenced the polity of Song Dynasty Next to Confucianism, the most important philosophy of the Chinese has undoubtedly been that of Taoism." (DeBarry, Chan & Bloom, p
"In this respect, twelfth-century Chinese cities differed markedly from earlier cities, which had been subject to strict government controls," while before "officials had carefully monitored markets, which opened only at noon, closed at sunset, and occupied designated sections of the city, always within the city wall," suddenly during the twelfth century, markets began to burgeon "outside city walls, where they stayed open all day and night without government interference." (Hansen, 1996) Unlike previous capitals the Song capitals did not have walls, and embraced the street life of commerce, merchants, and the ordinary people
For example, one Song era essayist named Han Yu argued that Buddhism and Taoism were foreign religions because they were too egalitarian "and did not observe the proper relation between senior and junior persons, and thereby destroyed the social order." (Theobold, "Neo-Confucianism," 2000) In his denouncing the way of the Tao, Han wrote that humanity and righteousness should be the proper guides to creating a society under the reign of a heavenly gaze, "unlike the Way of Daoism and Buddhism where everybody is seeking his own salvation
For example, one Song era essayist named Han Yu argued that Buddhism and Taoism were foreign religions because they were too egalitarian "and did not observe the proper relation between senior and junior persons, and thereby destroyed the social order." (Theobold, "Neo-Confucianism," 2000) In his denouncing the way of the Tao, Han wrote that humanity and righteousness should be the proper guides to creating a society under the reign of a heavenly gaze, "unlike the Way of Daoism and Buddhism where everybody is seeking his own salvation