Chengdu Taoist music, also known as Western Sichuan Taoist music, is a kind of Han religious music with a long history. It has various schools, diverse forms and rich repertoires, and has a prominent position and influence in Chinese Taoist music. In June 2008, Chengdu Taoist music was selected into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. Chengdu Taoist music is the music used in Taoist famous mountains, palaces and temples, and folk fire-dwelling Taoist altars in towns and villages in Chengdu, Sichuan. The source of Chengdu Taoist music can be traced back to the ritual music of the Five Pecks of Rice Dao that appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty more than 1,800 years ago. After being passed down by Taoist musicians of all generations, it has now developed into a traditional Taoist music with a strong Western Sichuan local style that integrates the essence of Taoist scriptures and rhymes from the north and south, the elegance of famous mountains and Taoist temples, and the popular style of folk Taoist altars. As the birthplace and origin of Taoism, Chengdu is a very typical region for the development and dissemination of Chinese Taoist culture in history, and has an irreplaceable and important position in the history of Chinese Taoism. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (126144 AD), after Zhang Daoling founded Taoism in Heming Mountain, Dayi County, the ritual of fasting and offering as a unique sacrificial ritual of Taoism gradually took shape, and Taoist music also came into being. Chengdu Taoist music is a source of development of Chinese Taoist music, which developed from the sacrificial music in the Bashu region during the Qin and Han Dynasties in my country. During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, after the compilation and innovation of the Northern Wei Taoist Kou Qianzhi and others, Taoist music broke away from the simple and primitive form and formed a set of rituals with strong traditional cultural characteristics. In the Tang Dynasty, due to the respect of Taoism by the emperors, generals, and literati of the Tang Dynasty, Taoist music has achieved unprecedented development. The musically gifted Tang Xuanzong Li Longji vigorously promoted Taoist music and personally wrote lyrics and composed music for Taoist music, such as "Nichang Yuyi" and "Buxuyun". In 1906, Chengdu Qingyang Temple Erxian Temple published and issued "Reprint of the Complete Taoist Canon Collection of Quanzhen Taoism". The publication of this Quanzhen Taoist music score marked that the Taoist Shifang Jingyun music had become a standardized universal Taoist music score in the country, and also proved that Chengdu Qingyang Temple Erxian Temple had become the center for the dissemination of Taoist music at that time. This book contains a total of 56 commonly used Taoist songs, which have been widely used in Taoist temples across the country since then. Due to many social reasons, Taoist activities in Chengdu, Sichuan, were once interrupted or depressed from the 1950s to the 1960s and 1970s, and Chengdu Taoist music was facing extinction. In 1978, after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the national religious policy was implemented. With the care and support of the government's religious departments, Taoist activities in Chengdu, Sichuan began to resume, and the heavenly sounds of Taoist music echoed in the Taoist caves and urban and rural courtyards in western Sichuan. After 1979, with the increasing number of my country's foreign exchanges, Chengdu Taoist music began to attract the attention of domestic and foreign music and cultural circles, and its influence gradually expanded. Since 1993, with the large-scale "Praying for World Peace, Protecting the Country and the People" Luotian Dajiao held in Beijing Baiyun Temple (September 1993), the "Second Ordination Ceremony of the Quanzhen Sect since the Founding of the People's Republic of China" held in Qingcheng Mountain, Sichuan (November 1995), the first and second "China Taoist Cultural Festivals" held in Chengdu (2004, 2006), and the establishment of the Qingcheng Mountain Fairy Music Orchestra and the Chengdu Qingyang Palace Taoist Orchestra in Chengdu, Sichuan (2003), the influence of Taoist music in Chengdu, Sichuan has also been increasing. It has not only been widely spread in Chengdu and its surrounding 200 square kilometers, but also has a certain influence in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan and the United States. Chengdu Taoist music still maintains the two major schools of Jingtan and Xingtan that were formed in the past. Among them, the Jingtan School, also known as the Jingju School, is the Quanzhen Taoist School. Its Taoist followers are called Jingtan Taoist priests, Jingju Taoists, ordained Taoist priests and Taoist priests living in temples. They usually wear a bun on their heads, wear Taoist robes, do not get married, do not eat meat, live in relatively quiet Taoist temples, and lead a collective and leisurely religious life. The music used by this sect belongs to the Quanzhen Taoist music system. The chanting rhymes are mainly "Northern Rhymes" belonging to the Ten Directions Rhyme, and the tunes played are mainly fine music. Most of the music they master is vocal music, and less is instrumental music. The music style is simple and elegant, with a strong religious atmosphere and a distinct Taoist color. The Xingtan Sect, also known as the Xingju Sect, is the folk Huoju Taoist sect. Its Taoist followers are collectively called Xingtan Sect Taoist priests, Xingke Taoist priests, Huotan Taoist priests, Huoju Taoist priests, scattered Taoist priests, and lay Taoist priests. They usually live in scattered homes, can get married and raise children, and usually dress like ordinary people. They only wear Taoist robes when they do Taoist temples for others. Compared with the Jingtan Sect Taoist priests, they often live a busy day and night life, moving around and eliminating disasters for others. The music used by this sect belongs to the folk Huoju Dao music system. The chanting rhymes are mainly Guangcheng rhymes and the sect’s rhymes, which belong to the local rhymes. The tunes played are mainly Dale. In addition to vocal music, the music mastered also has a relatively rich instrumental music. The music style is rough and warm, with a strong folk Taoist color. At present, according to the founders of the sects, the books used, and the singing styles, the Xingtan sect in Chengdu Taoist music is divided into Guangcheng, Fayan, Xiantian, Lingbao, Zhengyi and other Taoist sects, among which Guangchengtan is the most influential. Taoist musicians are accustomed to calling the music mastered by the Jingtan sect Jingtan Dao music or Jingtan music, and the music mastered by the Xingtan sect Xingtan Dao music or Xingtan music. Although there are many schools of Taoist music belonging to the Xingtan sect in various parts of Chengdu, except for the different rituals and chanting rhymes, the instrumental forms and tunes used are similar, which are similar or the same as the flute, suona tunes and gongs and drums used in Sichuan local opera music. Chengdu Taoist music retains the characteristics of ancient Chinese music. Since its formation, it has been supported and valued by the royal family and government. Under the constraints of the system and rules of Taoist temples, it is less affected by the outside world, and Taoist music has been able to develop continuously. At the same time, the inheritance method of Chengdu Taoist music is mainly oral transmission, and the method is secretive and conservative, so Chengdu Taoist music can preserve its traditional ancient music to this day. Chengdu Taoist music is closely related to national and folk music. The development history of Chengdu Taoist music is a history of constantly absorbing and melting national and folk music elements to enrich itself. Chengdu Taoist music is a religious music with the characteristics of local music from all over China. The tunes, intonations, and melodies all have a strong local music color, especially the characteristics of local operas and folk tunes.