Xuan Zong (玄宗) held the throne from 712 until 756, the longest reign of the Tang Dynasty. He began with great promise.

In Chinese history, only two women rank with Empress Wu (洛水): Empress Lu of the Han and Empress Dowager Ci Xi (慈禧太后)of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1835-1908).

The power of the Chinese empire reached another apex during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In fact, it was able to enforce a Pax Sinica in Asia.

Emperor Tai-wu ti of the Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏) was more than happy to learn of Kou Qiantzhi’s (寇謙之) divination that he would be able to unify the whole of north China.

Kou Qianzhi (太平真君) was able to attract a large following of faithful after he had spread the story of Cheng Kongxing (成公興) becoming an Immortal.

While Lu Xiujing (陸修靜) was syncretizing Taoism and Buddhism in south China, another “celestial master” or tian-shi (天師) succeeded in making Taoism a state religion in north China, where the House of Toba (拓拔) ruled.

Mount Fengdu (酆都) is the forty-fifth blessed site for China’s Taoist faithful. A small mountain in the province of Szechwan, Fengdu, also known as Mount Lofeng (羅酆)

The sun is called tai-yang (太陽). One story about the Sun in China is like that of Helios in Greek mythology. Helios, also identified as Hyperion, is the father of Phaeton, who was given permission to drive the chariot of the sun. He soon betrayed his incapacity and threatened the earth with a conflagration. Zeus, perceiving the disorder, hurled a thunderbolt and struck Phaeton who fell into the river Eridanus (Po).