Laozi

太上老君

The Old Master of the Dao, who rode a green ox west and became Taishang Laojun

Laozi, the Old Master, is honoured in several ways. Confucians revere him as a philosopher, people in popular religion as a saint or god, and Taoists as Taishang Laojun, also called Daode Tianzun, the Taiqing (Supreme Pure) one of the Three Pure Ones and the Dao made manifest. Tradition remembers him as Li Er, archivist of the Zhou court, who rode a green ox toward the western pass, where the gatekeeper Yin Xi asked him to leave his teaching. The Daodejing followed.

Devotees honour him for wisdom, longevity and the "pure and still" way (清靜無為). In Taiwanese temples they come to him for fortune-mending, peace lamps and calming a frightened spirit. His statue stands in temples and home shrines, and in a Sanqing hall it sits beside Yuanshi Tianzun, fan in hand.

See the gallery

Lao-tzu Riding an Ox. Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Zhang Lu

How to recognise Laozi

White hair and beardAn aged man with white or silver hair, a long white beard and white brows; devotees say he was born already old, hence the name Old Master.
The fanHis defining attribute is a fan, whether palm-leaf (蒲扇), feather (羽扇) or the sun-and-moon treasure fan (日月寶扇), which in the Sanqing hall tradition stands for the completion of Creation and for spreading the Dao to all people.
The green oxHe often rides the green ox (青牛), a dark, horned, ox-like beast, recalling his journey out through Hangu Pass.
Taoist robe and capHe wears a long Taoist robe, sometimes patterned with bagua trigrams, with a small guan cap or tied-up hair; robe colours vary from temple to temple.
Seat and bearingHe may sit enthroned and attended, or cross-legged on a lotus throne with the fan in one hand and sometimes a pearl in the other, always serene and unhurried.
The DaodejingSome paintings show him carrying a copy of the Daodejing, the book traditionally credited to him.
Yin XiIn Ming-era painting the gatekeeper Yin Xi may stand before him, smaller in size and hands respectfully clasped.

Names and titles

The Most High Lord LaoTaishang Laojun, the 'Supreme High Old Lord', his title as a god of Taoism
The Old MasterLaozi means 'old master' or 'old child', recalling the legend that he was born with white hair
Rider of the Green OxThe ox on which he is said to have ridden out through Hangu Pass
The Fan That Spreads the WayIn Sanqing iconography his fan stands for the completed Creation and the spread of the Dao to all people
Purple Clouds Over Hangu PassYin Xi saw a purple vapor and knew a sage was coming, then asked him to write down his teaching

Feast days

Birthday of Taishang Laojun15th day of the 2nd lunar month (next: 21 March 2027)

The birthday of Taishang Laojun, the deified Laozi, is kept by Taoists as the day the Dao is believed to have taken human form as Laozi. In Singapore the same celebration is called Taoist Day.
How it's celebrated. Taoist temples hold prayers and scripture chanting. At Singapore's San Qing Gong, priests of several dialect groups have led a day of rites, and a celebration dinner there has opened with longevity buns. In Shanghai, the City God Temple has held a ceremony, and pilgrims crowd Laojun Mountain in Sichuan. Practice varies by region.
Sources: Singapore Taoist Federation: Taoist Day 2020 · Sixth Tone: How Taoists Found Their Way To a Young Audience · Chinatownology: Singapore Taoism Day 2010