When Daoism Was in the Imperial Exam

Most people encounter Daoism as a philosophy of the reclusive and anti-system. However, it was once the ‘knowledge’ that helped lead people into the society and the system. For a nation of exam that promoted Confucianism as orthodoxy, it is hard to believe that China once used Daoist classics as the standard for its imperial exams.

In 742 AD, Tang Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict establishing an alternative path to government office: the daoju (道举), or Daoist examination. Aside from the Daodejing, which is a fundamental classic for Daoism, four other Daoist texts were elevated to the status of “true scriptures” (zhenjing 真经). Zhuangzi, Liezi, Wenzi, and Kangcangzi were granted the title. The five classics together became the standard textbooks, just like the Analects and other Confucian classics in the regular exams.

It was one of the most unusual episodes in Chinese history. It’s not just about how Daoism influenced the Chinese political tradition. It also offers a view of the everlasting dynamic and tension between the emperor and the whole bureaucratic system. The ‘knowledge’ or professionalism itself might not be the key to becoming the official. And an emperor’s personal preference ultimately could not overcome the inertia of the bureaucratic elite.

Here is what happened and why.

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