Taoism is an East Asian religion founded in ancient China with many schools or denominations, of which none occupies a position of orthodoxy and co-existed peacefully. Taoist branches usually build their identity around a set of scriptures, that are manuals of ritual practices. Scriptures are considered "breathwork", that is "configurations of energy" (qi), embodiments of "celestial patterns" (tianwen), or "revelations of structures" (li).
The earliest Taoist schools emerged during the late Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE). They blossomed especially in the region of Shu, modern-day Sichuan. From the 12th and 13th centuries onwards several smaller branches merged into larger ones, but in turn, side-schools developed around the large traditions. In modern times the existing schools tend to be classified under few overarching headings, in most cases under two main denominations: Quanzhen Taoism and Zhengyi Taoism.
