Secondary sourcePainting1909

Taishang Laojun illustration from Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan

1909

A 1909 book illustration of Laozi as the deity Taishang Laojun, taken from a Ming-era compendium of gods. It shows how later Taoism pictured him.

Shows Laozi as the deity Taishang Laojun, the form in which later Taoism pictured him, which is why it belongs in his archive.

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Black and white woodcut-style print of five deities or immortals seated and standing in a hall. Five robed figures with halos sit above and around a central altar with ornamental rails and a tripod-like object. The central figure wears a crown and sits on a raised platform. A bearded figure on the lower left holds his hands together, and a fierce-looking figure with a beard stands on the lower right holding a staff. Vertical Chinese text runs along the left edge. — Illustration of Taishang Laojun from Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan, 1909. Wikimedia Commons.

About this source

What it is

This is an illustration from Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan, a compendium of gods, shown here in a 1909 printing. It is a black and white woodcut-style print of five deities or immortals in a hall. The central figure wears a crown and sits on a raised platform, with an altar and ornamental rails in front. The Chinese text runs down the left edge. The archive record identifies the central figure as Taishang Laojun, the deity linked to Laozi.

Why it matters

The image shows that Laozi was pictured not only as a philosopher but as a god within later Taoist religion. The compendium that the illustration comes from gathered deities from the three teachings. Seeing him crowned on a platform among other immortals helps students understand how his image changed after his teachings were written down.

Look closer

How does the crowned central figure differ from the figures around him, and what does his position suggest?
Who do you think the book was made for, and why would it include so many gods?
What does this picture leave out about Laozi's own words in the Daodejing?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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