A Survey on the Daoist Lineages and Ritual Texts in Southeastern Hebei

Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, local Daoism in southeastern Hebei Province has developed in a complex and intertwined manner, characterized by the multiplicity and interpenetration of Daoist lineages. The inheritance of contemporary local Daoism persists in a living form in this region; despite gradual decline in modern times, it has preserved a wealth of local Daoist texts as well as complete traditions of jiao (offering) and zhai (retreats) rituals. Based on scriptures, Daoist priests’ oral histories, and ritual records collected in southeastern Hebei, this article examines the transformation of ritual texts of local Daoism in the region since the Ming and Qing dynasties from two perspectives: vertical transmission and horizontal dissemination. It analyzes the local mechanisms and operational models underlying text evolution. Among these, the transmission model emphasizes intergenerational inheritance rooted in Daoist lineages, serving as the primary mode of text circulation which reflected the diachronic trajectory of text transmission. The dissemination model highlights the circulation and transformation of shared texts across lineages, representing a typical example of the integration and symbiosis of ritual traditions among Daoist lineages in a synchronic context. As the core operational mechanisms for text generation, transmission and dissemination have provided a vertical and horizontal framework as well as a dynamic foundation for the transformation of ritual texts in this region over the past century.