In 1995, the British Taoist Association was founded in London, making it the first Taoist group in Europe. In 2001, the Spanish Taoist Association was founded and the first Taoist temple in Europe, the Qing Jing Gong, was established in Barcelona in the same year.
The number of Taoist disciples in Europe and North America has been on the rise over recent years, with Taoist associations established in several countries, including the United States, France, Portugal and Italy.
Ong Seng Huat, director of the Taoist Culture Research Center in Malaysia, believes that Taoism should develop into a world religion because the Tao Te Ching and Lao Zi's thoughts had a "global perspective" from the very beginning, which has allowed Taoism to transcend countries, regions and races.
He suggested that Taoists should set up more organizations and engage themselves in more international talks and activities in order to contribute more to the international community.
"It is time for Taoism to grow. Because it can help not only people in China, but also people in the West," Trestard said.
(Xinhua writer Ding Wenjie also contributed to this story)
