Rituals/Practices
Taoist rituals involve purification and meditation. They are usually complex and technical, therefore left to the priests. Rituals involve the priest and his/her assistants chanting, playing instruments, and sometimes dancing. One of the major Taoist rituals is the chiao(jiao), which is made of multiple rituals itself. A short explanation is that each family or household brings offerings to the local deity/deities. In the ceremony, a Taoist priest performs a ritual to restore order to the universe and asks to bring peace and prosperity to the village in exchange for the offering.
Taoist temples are usually called Gong, Guan, or Miao. Some temples are different, but can be generally classified as palace-like, ordinary temples, or simple huts. People sometimes get confused identifying Taoist temples between Buddhist temples because they are so similar. But, there are some small differences that separate Taoist and Buddhist temples. For example, the themes of statues and murals in Taoist temples are familiar to the common Chinese people and the religious atmosphere is less intense than in Buddhist temples.
One of the common symbols for Taoism is Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are natural forces that depend on one another and wouldn't make sense on their own. This could mean light and dark, active and inactive, or masculine and feminine. These are opposites that work together perfectly and work in harmony.
Taoist temples are usually called Gong, Guan, or Miao. Some temples are different, but can be generally classified as palace-like, ordinary temples, or simple huts. People sometimes get confused identifying Taoist temples between Buddhist temples because they are so similar. But, there are some small differences that separate Taoist and Buddhist temples. For example, the themes of statues and murals in Taoist temples are familiar to the common Chinese people and the religious atmosphere is less intense than in Buddhist temples.
One of the common symbols for Taoism is Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are natural forces that depend on one another and wouldn't make sense on their own. This could mean light and dark, active and inactive, or masculine and feminine. These are opposites that work together perfectly and work in harmony.